Secrets Uncovered
by Sapphos-Daughter
Summary: Everybody has secrets, but what will happen when Kagome brings hers to the Fuedal Era?
1. Hidden dispair

Author's note: I would like to thank Midnight Melody for all of her help and encouraging me to write this. It's only the prologue! No, the only character I own is Lynnette!

* * *

Kagome had appeared panicked when she had left the feudal era. She hadn't even bothered to say goodbye to Inuyasha before jumping into the well that would lead Kagome back to her own time.

That had been three days ago, and Kagome still hadn't returned yet.

_Damnit, where is she?_ Inuyasha cursed silently as he paced in front of the Sacred Well. _Kagome left for her world without any warning. She didn't even tell me when she was coming back… that does it ! If she's not back by tomorrow, I'm going to go there and bring her back!_

To be fair, Inuyasha _did_ hold out until about noon before his impatience got the better of him. Storming to the well, Inuyasha couldn't take the waiting any longer and he jumped in.

Fully intending to yell at Kagome for staying away for so long, he was surprised to find that no one was there except for Kagome's mother, Mrs. Higurashi. She looked happy to see him though when he walked in.

"Hello Inuyasha. Kagome's not here right now."

"Do you know where she is?"

"She's at the hospital right now visiting her friend. You can wait in her room if you'd like."

"Thanks." Inuyasha replied as he headed to Kagome's room.

Three hours later Kagome was home and treaded dully up to her room, her lively chocolate brown eyes were dim and lifeless. To Inuyasha's nose, Kagome reeked of sickness, death and disinfectant.

"Kagome! What's wrong? Why do you smell of sickness?" Inuyasha cried out in surprise.

"Not now Inuyasha, I'll explain later." Even her voice sounded lifeless as she walked on over to her bed and fell into it, ignoring the thud of her journal falling open off the bed before sleep ambushed her.

Inuyasha bent down to pick up the book and put it on the nightstand, but when his eyes fell upon the words dated the night she came back, he stopped dead in his tracks.

_She's dying._

_I can't believe this. It feels like everything that I've been doing in the Feudal Era has just been a complete waste of time!_ _Why Lynnette? Hasn't she suffered enough? I'm supposed to be a Priestess Damnit!_ _So why am I forced to sit there helplessly watching her waste away?_

_Keep in mind, she's not exactly the normal weight for our age… but I've never seen her this thin before. Already she's down to 54 pounds, and she only weighed 83 pounds to begin with! I think that her will so now the only thing that is keeping her alive at this moment. _

_At this point, I almost wish I could talk to Kikyou. Granted, I don't like her, but if any of the knowledge she has could help, I would gladly hog tie Inuyasha up and give him to her. Not that I'd be forced to do that…_

_Inuyasha is going to be so pissed at me, but at this point, I don't care. I've spent way too much time in the Feudal Era as it is (I've got a stack of homework higher than my head, and the baka hasn't once thanked me!). _

_Besides I can't leave her now. I'm all she's got left. Her family kicked her out, and most of her other friends have either abandoned her or are too far away to come visit._

_Believe it or not, she's my only friend in this Era. Yeah, I'm popular at school, but I can't talk to those girls the way I talk to her._

_She already knows about the feudal era, cause I told her all about it. She was very interested… I could almost see the wheels turning as she took notes._

_Something tells me that this is somehow going to turn into a novel. If this is indeed the case, then the very least I can do is to let her see it with her own eyes. She deserves to see this, no matter what anybody else thinks._

Inuyasha dropped the book in surprise, staring at Kagome's sleeping form. Bringing someone terminally ill when Naraku was still on the loose was anything but a smart idea.

What in the hell was Kagome thinking!


	2. Meeting Lynnette

Author's note: I would like to give my thanks to turtlequeen2 for taking the time to help me with this chapter. We make a great team! Thanks!

As the sun rose, Inuyasha quietly made his way down the stairs, trying not to wake anyone up. He was still thinking about what he had read the night before in Kagome's journal. Still, the hanyou had no intentions on telling Kagome that he had read her journal, as he didn't want to be 'Sat!' to oblivion. Going out onto the porch, Inuyasha stared sightlessly at the tree to which he had been bound to for fifty years.

When Mrs. Higurashi came into the room, Inuyasha still hadn't moved. "Good morning Inuyasha, would you like some breakfast? Kagome should be up soon."

"Thanks Mrs. Higurashi."

Inuyasha was halfway through his meal when he heard the sound of Kagome coming down the stairs.

Kagome's eyes looked as dull as her voice. She was dressed in dark blue jeans and a yellow blouse. "Hi mom I'm home, hey Inuyasha."

"Hello dear, are you going back to the hospital today?"

"Yeah, I'm taking Souta's PS2 along with me so that we can kick some Final Fantasy behind. Lynnette really needs something to take her mind off the pain right now…"

Mrs. Higurashi looked surprised. "The chemo isn't helping?"

"The doctors took her off the chemo because she's lost too much weight. She's down to fifty-four pounds now, and she hasn't weighed that since fifth grade!" Kagome informed her mother gently.

The hanyou had been eating quietly, but was rapidly losing interest in the conversation and quickly changed the subject. "So Kagome, when are ya coming back to the feudal era?"

Kagome just sighed. "I don't know Inuyasha, but I can't just abandon my friend in the hospital."

Inuyasha crossed his arms and huffed at the stubborn woman. "Keh! We can't just bring anyone through the well ya know!"

Kagome's sorrowful eyes suddenly flashed with the heat of her anger "Then you better expect me to stay here for a while! I won't leave her there all alone!"

"There's no way in hell! We have to find the rest of the jewel shards too." Came his exclamation. His gold eyes glared back at her in defiance.

"My best friend is dying Inuyasha! The very least I can do is stay with her since she has no one else!" Kagome snapped back.

His eyes softened a bit at her remark. He already knew since he had read that entry in her journal. The hanyou knew that he had to tell her one way or another. Inuyasha turned away from her heated gaze and mumbled, "I know. I seen it in your spell book."

"What! Are you saying that you read my journal? You weren't supposed to read that!" Kagome exclaimed, suddenly remembering what she had wrote about Inuyasha in that entry. Having jumped to her feet during the argument, she just as quickly sat down again in shock.

"It's not like I did it intentionally!" He shouted back. "When you fell asleep, it fell off of your bed and I had seen it on the floor. If you didn't want me to see it then maybe you should've put it away." Inuyasha smirked a little then, thinking that he had won that argument.

Kagome growled, then jumped up and took her empty plate to the sink. "I've got to go. Lynnette should have finished breakfast by now, though I doubt she ate much..." She said quietly and bowed her head to hide the despair in her eyes.

His smirk quickly fled when he heard the tone in her voice. "Kagome..." He sighed. "You don't even know if the well would let her through. Besides, since she's ill, how could she even protect herself?" The hanyou would do anything to prevent her from crying, he hated it more than the many "sits" she gave him at times.

"Considering she can't walk, I don't know. I just wanted her to see a green world for a change..." Kagome replied in a soft whisper, gulping down her tears.

"You don't expect me to carry her the whole time, do you?" He demanded suddenly. 'Of all the things she's done.. this has got to be the stupidest...' His world spun at the thought as disbelief ran through his mind. Inuyasha turned back to face her, his eyebrow raised in question.

"Actually, I can push her in her manual wheelchair. I wouldn't mind walking. Or Kirara could carry her." Kagome replied. Suddenly she was handing him a plastic bag. "I bought you some clothes in case you wanted to come along."

'What's a wh-eelchair?' he wondered. His face had confusion etched into it. Then he stared at the clothes, and scrunched his face in distaste. "What's wrong with the clothes I have on now? Can't I just wear that hat thing?"

"We're going to a hospital, so they might not let you see her if you are dressed like you usually are." Kagome explained.

The hanyou nodded his head in understanding and pulled the clothes out of the bag. "Um, Kagome...what are these things?" He held up the pieces of clothing in question

"Jeans go on your legs... Souta! Please help Inuyasha!" Her face had suddenly gone cherry red in embarrassment.

After Souta had led Inuyasha away, many sounds and comments escaped from the room. Inuyasha finally stomped out of the room, clad in only jeans and the shirt provided. "There's no way in the seven hells that I'm going to wear these things," he exclaimed, holding up the offending pairs of shoes.

"They won't let you in without shoes. What's wrong with them? Are they the wrong size?" Kagome asked, hands on her hips.

He lightly growled at her innocence. "How in the hell do you people wear these damn things?" Inuyasha demanded instead. "I can't even walk in them!" His tone grew slightly irritated.

"I wear them." Kagome replied, proving this by lifting up a jean-encased leg to show him the sneaker on her foot, smirking slightly.

"Maybe a pair of sandals would work better." Mrs. Higurashi suggested, noticing the look of impatience beginning to show in her daughter's face.

Inuyasha noticed the objects that Mrs. Higurashi was pointing to, and he thought that those would be more comfortable since he had seen some of familiar objects in his own time. "Those look better." He commented bluntly.

"Okay fine! As long as you've got something on your feet I don't give a damn!" It was a measure of her anxiety that Kagome actually swore aloud, which she rarely, if ever did.

"Keh! I don't know why I even try," Inuyasha huffed back. He was fully dressed at the time though, meaning that he actually did want to make her happy, though he'd never admit that.

Kagome quickly bent down and picked up the heavy game consol. "Thank you."

Inuyasha found himself startled by her sudden mood change. He almost jumped back in surprise. The hanyou lightly blushed and turned away once more, his only response being another, "Keh."

Kagome was now walking briskly down the street, glad that it was finally summer vacation. The bag was a little heavy, but she could handle it.

Inuyasha looked at her, silently debating whether he should ask about that girl or not. Making up his mind, he stared at her and asked," So what's wrong with the wench?" He instantly flinched at the glare Kagome threw him and immediately corrected himself. "I mean, woman..."

"She has cancer. It means that something is growing inside her and it's not friendly" Kagome replied, walking next to him.

Although Inuyasha solemnly nodded his head, though, he was still confused. "Isn't there a herb for it or something," He decided to ask.

Yes, but they stopped giving it to her because she lost too much weight from being so sick." Kagome had decided to keep things as simple as she could. "It's grown so big they can't take it out now."

He stared ahead, looking down the road before deciding to reply. "Oh," was the only thing he could get out. Inuyasha didn't do too well in trying to comfort someone so he didn't know what to say in these types of situations.

Kagome however, didn't seem to notice, her gaze seemed to be very far away. When she spoke, it was more to herself than to the hanyou who walked beside her. "I owe her Inuyasha, I owe Lynnette a debt which I'll never be able to repay her for. She's like a sister to me."

The hanyou just stared at his feet, unable to keep a lock with Kagome's eyes. "She's that special to you, huh?" He asked in a sigh.

"I'd give my life to her and die with a smile on my face if it kept her safe and happy." Though simply said, the tone in her voice held no room for doubt of her conviction.

He smiled sadly. The way she said it, it reminded him of what he used to think of Kikyou. Well, still did think of, in a sense. "How long have you known her?"

"I've known her since we were six years old; I tripped and fell face first into her lap!" Her eyes lit up and sparkled as she laughed at the memory.

Seeing in the happiness in her eyes, he felt a little less stressed about her. He couldn't stand seeing her in pain. Suddenly the hanyou stopped in his tracks and sniffed the air. He stared at the looming building ahead. "Is this the place you're talking about? It reeks of illness and humans," Inuyasha explained.

The sparkle in her eyes died as she gazed up at the building in front of them. "Yes, that's where we are going." Kagome said, shaking her head for a moment before suddenly quickening her stride.

He followed her without a word. She was sad again, he could tell. His ears drooped against his head under his hat in defeat.

Kagome looked neither left nor right as she entered the building. She absolutely hated hospitals. Heading for the stairs, she took them silently three at a time to the cancer ward on the fifth floor. The smell was the worst here, even to Kagome's senses.

Inuyasha almost gagged at the scent. It was dreadful! It seemed that the humans who were most sick resided here. "So it's here?" He asked, trying his best not to look sick himself.

There was no emotion in her voice now. "Yes. This is the cancer ward."

He gulped in anxiety. Just as she said, this "cancer" was the worst of all.

Kagome moved forward quickly, flashing false smiles at the nurses as she heading to Lynnette's room. Although she didn't know it, Lynnette's room was the worse smelling of them all, the cancer was that bad. Remembering that Inuyasha had a very sensitive nose, she spoke up. "Inuyasha you can stay outside if you want to. You don't have to see her right now."

He nodded quickly. Inuyasha knew if he spent too much time here, he'd probably pass out from the overwhelming stench.

Looking nervous, Kagome pasted her best sunshine smile on her face before tapping on the door and walking in. "Hi Lynne!" He heard her say cheerfully.

As Inuyasha waited for Kagome, he looked around the ward they were on. He could smell death lingering in the air. The hanyou could also smell the fact that many were not going to live long. Inuyasha noticed the many fake smiles placed on the people visiting. The hanyou knew that the people didn't want their loved ones to know that they didn't think they'll live longer. He turned his concentration back on Kagome's scent and found her doing the same as the other people, and what was worse, Lynnette's room was the worst of them all.

"They told me how long I've got left today Kame..." He heard a soft voice say gently, and Kagome's scent suddenly smelled sharply of fear and despair. "No..." he heard Kagome say, pain in her voice.

The nervous Hanyou growled lightly at the fact that Kagome had a nickname that he didn't know of. He was also angry at the fact that Kagome was in pain and there wasn't much he could do to help. It was rare when he felt this hopeless.

"I've got less than a year, the doctors are ball-parking it at maybe eight months if I'm lucky." He heard Lynnette say before Kagome started sobbing.

Inuyasha knew that Lynnette was lying based on her dying scent. He knew that she was doing so just so that she could ease Kagome's pain. This was all so surreal to him.

"Inuyasha." the voice was slightly stronger now, but with a hint of command. "Come in here please."

He got up slowly and walked to where Kagome was. His eyes widened at the sight that greeted his eyes. The sharp scent of Kagome's tears was in the air. She was sobbing in the lap of a frail skeleton covered with skin, burning blue eyes, and flaming red hair. His breath caught in his throat. Terror kept him from saying anything. The sight of this was worse than any scent he had ever smelled before. "K... Kagome..." He asked her a little shakily.

Kagome's shoulders shook with sobs, unable to answer. The fire burning in Lynnette's light blue eyes was the only sign of life in this emaciated husk of a young woman. She had one arm around Kagome, stroking her hair tenderly with a fragile hand. "Will you please bring me the yellow notebook on the dresser Inuyasha?" Lynnette asked softly.

The hanyou nodded dumbly, unable to say much else. He got the item that the woman asked for and gave it to her.

Blue eyes seemed to look into Inuyasha's soul before she took the notebook from him. "Thank you."

He was still so much in shock that Inuyasha couldn't even do his trademark 'keh" as he usually would. At that point, he would've given anything to escape the white walls that were around him. The bewildered hanyou felt so weak in such a place. 'There is no happiness possible in a place like this.' Inuyasha thought in a panic.

Lynnette seemed to sense this, and a very deep sadness crossed her face as pain flashed in her eyes. "I'm sorry I scared you." She said softly. "You may go outside if you wish."

Inuyasha had seen the hurt on her face. He knew that he must have looked frightened as he actually felt. "I'm sorry…" he nearly whispered, suddenly feeling ashamed of himself. It was rare when he actually felt guilty about something besides with Kikyou or Kagome. He lightly held Lynnette's hand before departing.

The girl nodded gravely in her acceptance of his apology before turning her attention back to the still weeping Kagome.

He had seen a window in the corner of the room and since no one else was in the room, except for the two girls, the hanyou slid back the glass and looked down to see a smaller building below him. Casting a sad glance to Kagome and Lynnette, he jumped out, not wanting to look back. Inuyasha proceeded to scale buildings, in search of the shrine where Kagome lived. Suddenly feeling homesick, he wanted to go back to the well.

Before the hanyou even got to the well, he dashed into Kagome's room first, where Souta had said his clothes were. Desperately wanting to get rid of the stench of the hospital, he eagerly changed back into them, and put Tetsusaiga back into his sash. Inuyasha ran out to the well and jumped in, welcoming the blue light that wrapped around him.

Two hours later, Kagome walked home having left the PS2 with her friend. Tears were still flowing down her face and the notebook held tightly under her arm. She was even more determined now to show Lynnette the Feudal Era.

No matter what it took…


	3. Late night fights and conversation

Author's note: Thanks again to turtlequeen2 for all of your help!

Meanwhile, on the other side of the well, the hanyou was high up in the Goshinboku. He kept replaying the haunting scene in his mind. Kagome was right. She was dying. However, even _if_ he wanted to bring her to his time, trying to protect the girl would be more of a hassle than a helpful thing.

Inuyasha was so deep in his thoughts; he didn't even catch the monk's scent until his voice called up to him. "Inuyasha, you're back so soon?"

Startled, Inuyasha looked down to Miroku. The monk was in his usual stance, holding his staff, but the look in his eyes was unsettling and Inuyasha was in no mood to argue. "Keh! What the hell do you want?" He managed to get out, crossing his arms.

Miroku cocked his head to the side in question, but was well-used Inuyasha's moods. "I see that the Lady Kagome is not with you, yet you are here."

"So now every time I come back, Kagome has to be here too!" Inuyasha demanded, irritated.

"Well, every time you've gone there; she has come back with you" Miroku pointed out. "What happened this time?"

He sighed. "You're not going to leave until I tell you, are you?"

"No. Sango and Shippo are worried as well. So you might as well come in and tell us." The monk replied calmly.

"Fine," Inuyasha grumbled, hopping down from the God Tree. He then charged off towards Kaede's hut, leaving the poor monk behind in the dust.

Miroku just smiled, but walked quickly to the hut, not wanting to miss anything.

After Miroku and Inuyasha were both in the hut, chaos ensued for the first few minutes. A ball of fur launched himself at Inuyasha. "Inuyasha! Where's Kagome!" Shippou demanded.

Inuyasha snorted," Not here brat."

"Where is she? Did she have another test?" Sango asked

Inuyasha looked solemn and looked away, his eyes softening, remembering the bad memories he had earlier in the day. "No..." he trailed off.

"Well, what happened? Is everything okay with Kagome?" Shippou asked

"Not exactly," Inuyasha answered in all seriousness. "She's caring for her friend in her time, who's has this bad disease. Lynnette, the girl, is close to dying," he explained.

Sango looked horrified. "That's terrible. What is this disease? Maybe there is a cure to it in our time that they have forgotten about!"

"Well, Kagome called it cancer. It's like something that grows inside of you and kills you from the inside. The smell was putrid with death. For one of the first times in my life, I was horrified." Inuyasha explained, the worry etching his face. "Damnit!" He exclaimed, remembering his helplessness.

"Does this girl, Lynnette, know how close she is to death? How's Kagome taking this?" Miroku asked.

"I think she knows, but won't tell Kagome the truth. She's going to die sooner than she told Kagome, which was said to be eight months." Inuyasha sighed and his ears drooped. "Kagome's been sobbing the whole time she was there. And I couldn't even do a damn thing about it."

Shippo spoke up. "Are they very close?"

Inuyasha looked at the kitsune and growled a little. "Yea, she said they were best friends for years before she met us through the well."

"So what can we do now? Miroku asked, "Kagome clearly will not leave her time until Lynnette passes away, and Naraku is still gathering the shards."

Inuyasha looked at them and breathed in deeply. "Uh, well, Kagome wanted to bring Lynnette here..." He cringed, awaiting the reaction from the group.

"WHAT!" Shouted every member of the group

"Yea, that's what I said too." Inuyasha leaned back against the wall of the hut, Tetsusaiga in hand.

"Does Lady Lynnette know of this plan?" Sango asked, an introspective look coming over her face

Inuyasha raised his eyebrow at Sango's formality at Lynnette's name. "I think she does. She's the one that wanted to see the other side because Kagome already told her about it," Inuyasha explained.

Shippo shook his head. "That might not be the case Inuyasha."

The monk now frowned for a minute in thought before adding his own thoughts. "She could have said it in a wishful manner, and Kagome seized on it in her grief and decided to make it come true."

"I'm not sure. I read it in her spellbook that she wrote in. It said that she was so desperate for help, she'd even talk to Kikyou."

"Is it really that bad?" Sango asked in amazement

Inuyasha grimly nodded.

Miroku was still frowning. "Inuyasha, would you be willing to see Lynnette again?"

Inuyasha's eyes glazed over in memory, remembering the horrid sight from earlier in the day. He bit back a whine. "Let's just say I'm extremely reluctant," he responded cautiously.

"I think you should see her tonight and explain to Lynnette exactly what is going on here in the feudal era and ask her to please reconsider coming here." Miroku said slowly.

The hanyou sighed, looking at the monk, wanting to refuse, but knew that he had to do it some time or another. He nodded again and got up. "I'll do it," was the only thing he said. With that, he stormed out of the hut in a huff.

"Wow… That was easy." Sango said quietly. "What could he have seen over there...?"

"I don't know, but he was right about death. It was faint, but I could smell it all over him," Shippou explained, holding his nose.

Inuyasha ran to the well and took a deep breath to steady his nerves before jumping in. The blue light surrounded him and transported him back to Kagome's Era. He leapt out on the other side and jumped onto the tree next to Kagome's room, not resisting the urge to see her. He sat on the branch, his gold eyes being the only things piercing through the darkness of the night. His haori sleeves were whipped by the wind along with the leaves on the trees.

Kagome looked up at the sound, the tears still flowing down her face. What the..." She got off the bed and walked to the window, seeing nothing there, Kagome let loose a heartfelt curse. "Now I'm hearing things..."

He smelled her potent tears and inwardly cringed, hating when she cried. At that moment, he knew that what he had to do was necessary. With one quick movement, he jumped off the branch and hopped onto one of the buildings next to the shrine. He started leaping his way towards the hospital, to the smell of death and illness.

After a while, the hanyou saw the all-white building, looming up ahead under the moonlight. He hopped onto the structure that was underneath the window of Lynnette's room. He jumped onto the ledge, thanking his luck that the window was unlocked.

Lynnette was one of the few people still awake in the cancer ward. A plate of food sat untouched on the table next to her as she wrote with feverish haste in the notebook in her lap. When she heard Inuyasha come into the room, surprise filled her face. "Oh! Hello again Inuyasha, it's nice to see you again." A soft smile then touched her face. "Kame was right, you have cute ears, and they fit you well."

He looked down at her noticing how the light of the pale moon was illuminating her almost transparent skin. He flicked his ears and then knew what she meant. "Kuso..." he cursed softly. "Keh! They're not supposed to be cute, wench!" He responded gruffly. He thought that she if knew, Kagome would want to sit him to hell for forgetting his 'hat.'

Lynnette looked away. "You are right, I apologize. My humor has become somewhat warped after six months in here..."

He wanted to bang his head against a wall when he heard her soft tone. His eyes softened and he crossed his arms in a huff. "I'm not here to make light conversation. I'm here to tell you to reconsider your wish," Inuyasha explained. He took a sit at the edge of her bed.

"To see the feudal era and meet the friends she's made there? I had hoped she hadn't heard me..."

"Well obviously she did or I wouldn't know," he retorted. He didn't exactly want to explain how he found out.

Lynnette sighed sadly. "Who am I kidding? Of course she heard me. This is third time I've battled cancer, and she's been with me all the way..."

"Third?" He questioned incredulously.

"Yes, most of my life since I was twelve has been in a hospital. Hard to believe I know..."

"Not to me..." he snorted out, referring to her scent.

"I know I must smell ripe to you, I'm sorry."

"I guess it can't be helped," he admitted. Trying to change the subject, he started," Do have any idea how dangerous the Feudal Era is?"

Suddenly a flicker of humor crossed her face. "If you think I'm scary now, you should have seen me the last time I took the chemo and all my hair fell out." Lynnette said, trying to make a joke out of it. Hearing his question, she turned solemn again. "Yes I know that it was wishful thinking on my part. I just wanted..."

"Of course you know that Kagome will be too stubborn to not let you travel to my time, so the only one who can stop her is you." He only raised his eyebrow at her attempt at a joke.

Sadness filled her face. "I know. When she's calm again, I'll speak to her. Hopefully, my advice will be enough..."

"You do know that in the end, this will help you both out, right? 'Cause I'm pretty sure a demon could kill you easily, with you being sick and all..." he trailed off.

"I really didn't want to tag along... I just wanted to meet all of you and make sure that Kagome would be taken care of when I'm..." Her sad burning eyes suddenly looked directly at him. "I love her, more than you know."

His eyes widened and his throat tightened at that statement. She took him by surprise. "W... what!" Came the response from the hanyou.

Lynnette seemed to be taking strength from whatever spirit was still burning inside of her. "I love her, I've looked after her, I've taught her everything I know. If I have any power left at all in this useless shell, death will not take me until I know that she'll be looked after when I'm gone."

Inuyasha held in a growl of sudden jealousy. For some reason, he knew that what she said was true. This was more painful than hearing Kouga, when he proclaimed his love for her. Inuyasha knew that he only wanted Kagome at the time because she could sense the jewel shards… But this... this was true love from a girl he's only just met. Someone that Kagome knew before him. He felt threatened.

Lynnette never flinched, but instead suddenly bared her teeth right back to the molars as she returned his growl with a snarl of her own. She didn't have the strength to raise her voice, but she kept eye contact with him as she spoke. "You claim to care and protect her. Yet I am the one who is forced to comfort her when you run back to your old flame."

He jumped back at her returned snarl. He narrowed his eyes at her comment about Kikyou. As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew that she was right.

Growling softly, she continued, "I was the one who dried her tears as she cried on my lap. I was the one who helped her find the courage to help you find the shard after all you have done to her. You have caused her many wounds on her soul, and I had to remain here in this time only to watch helplessly as she went back for more time after time." Suddenly tired after her outburst, she leaned back on the pillows. "Too bad I am far too weak now to give you the beating that you so richly deserve."

He sighed in defeat. "You're right. I do deserve it. I know that I hurt Kagome," he admitted in a near whisper, his ears drooping. "I've done a lot of stupid things," he continued. "And no matter how many times Kagome has helped me; I always tend to push her away."

The fire died in her eyes, though her eyes didn't soften as she gazed at him "If you know this, than why do you do it? Why do you continue to hurt the only person I've got left who loves me?" Fighting back her tears, her mouth filled with blood when she bit the inside of her cheek.

Inuyasha smelled tears mixed with the blood and he was scared. Not just because of crying or the blood- but of the rage that he could sense building up inside of her and how he would have to answer. The hanyou swallowed hard, trying to force the words out of his mouth. "I'm afraid... no petrified... of how to feel. I don't want her to get hurt." He explained softly.

Her head had cocked to one side as Lynnette had patiently waited for the scared hanyou's answer. The flames of emotion had gone out in Lynnette's eyes, leaving an empty and despairing shadow on her face. "You hurt her out of your own fear because you think she cannot handle herself?"

Inuyasha just stared at her, unable to speak for a few minutes. "With Naraku still alive, I don't want a repeat of what happened between me and Kikyou fifty years ago, to happen again between me and Kagome." He looked away, solemnly admitting the thoughts that had plaguing his mind for such a long time.

Closing her eyes, Lynnette almost appeared to stop breathing as she thought about this for a long moment. "Did you ever consider that Kagome is very different than Kikyou, and that time may have changed many things, including feelings?"

One of his hands clenched into fists out of frustration. "Damnit! I know that Kagome isn't Kikyou! I knew that after I first met her!" He stared down at his fist letting his silver bangs cover his burning golden eyes.

Lynnette shot him a look of silent reproach for his outburst. "I was referring to that fact that Kagome might not share the same feelings for you the Kikyou once had." The blue veins of her hands and neck showed clearly against her pale skin.

The hanyou looked confused at that statement. Wanting to change the subject away from Kagome, he looked for anything that catch his attention. Then he spotted food in a tray next to her bed. It was untouched. He then remembered Kagome's fretting words about Lynnette not eating enough. Clearing his throat, he remarked, "So why don't you eat?"

She followed his gaze sadly. "It won't stay down anymore." Then she tried to make another joke. "Besides, you've never tasted hospital food."

He sniffed the air again, noticing the scent of the food. He had to admit that she had to be right on that fact. "Doesn't smell all that well," he agreed scrunching up his nose.

Lynnette sighed, then reached for the fork, the five pills staring back at her. "Damn pills, they'll kill me faster than the damn chemo tried to..." She muttered. "Please Goddess, let me keep it down this time..."

Inuyasha stared at the pills. He thought back to the time he first seen Kagome take pills for her headaches. He remembered how freaked out he was about seeing her swallow them and how she explained what they were for, but the pills he seen were at least three times the size of the capsules Kagome took!

"T... those are your pills!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah..." Lynnette made a face.

"How the hell are you supposed to swallow them!"

"Without dying? It's not easy. I'm just glad Kame's not here..."

"She'd give me a sitting to hell and back if she found out that I snuck down here..." he trailed off, suddenly scared as he remembered how protective Kagome was.

Lynnette smiled at Inuyasha, the fork of food halfway to he mouth. "Don't worry, I won't tell, I like the company." Sadness crossed her face. "It's not easy to be alone at night in a place like this, especially with the pain..."

"Keh! Don't get used to it," he snorted, crossing his arms, his attitude back in place. He looked at her, his eyes telling her that he was grateful for her secrecy.

"Don't worry; I'm used to having the pain around. Besides, I have my writing for company too." She said after she had carefully swallowed a mouthful of rice and pointed to the notebook at her side.

Suddenly curious, he asked," What do you write?"

"Stories sometimes poetry. I wanted to be a novelist... a great writer."

"Heh. Is that so? I never cared for that type of stuff, though."

"You make your own stories a reality by living them." Lynnette pointed out as she slowly ate her food.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean wench?" He demanded, irate and confused.

Lynnette raised her eyebrow before saying softly. "I can hardly think of myself as a wench since the cancer has long ceased to steal anything that has once marked me as a woman." She gestured to her completely flat chest as well as the rest of her wasted body for emphasize. "However, to answer your question you are able to get out into the world, to move and meet people. Every day is a chance to learn something new, however small..." Her voice trailed off as she turned her face away to hide the longing in her eyes.

Inuyasha sighed, feeling bad about saying wench to her though it was impulsive. Though, he didn't want Lynnette to go to the other side of the well, a small part of him wanted her to experience the outside.

Lynnette sighed, staring at the pills. "I'm not even sure if they'll let me out of here, even though I'm off that damn chemo..." The word "chemo" was spoken with a gut level hatred.

"Would getting out of here affect your health?" Inuyasha wondered aloud.

"I don't know." Lynnette admitted. "My immune system is probably destroyed by now, so I might just die faster, but I don't want to be cooped up here anymore.

He sighed a little at that. Inuyasha didn't want to admit it to himself, but he did feel sorry for her. He knew her feelings of being trapped and not being able to go anywhere. He also knew that Kagome would be happy if he could find some way to get Lynnette to go to the Feudal Era with them. Also maybe, just maybe, they could find a cure for this "cancer" by using some herbs not known in Kagome's time. However, the more he thought it over the more worried he became. It was too dangerous for a sick human to be wandering around without someone to protect her. He did enough trying to protect Kagome and the others. Did he need another human to protect? Worse yet, did he actually want to endanger this person's life by risking her heath to get her out of this hell she called the "hospital"?

"Inuyasha," she reached for his hand, but did not touch it, as though afraid of contaminating him. "I know that there is no cure for cancer in your era, save for a miracle. I'm not trying to be a burden on you and the others. If you choose to try to bring me through the well, fine. If not, I understand." The look in her eyes was the look of a person who had seen far too much for her time.

Inuyasha wanted to know one last thing before deciding whether to help her or not. "When you told Kagome that you were expected to live for eight months, I knew you were lying, but I understand you told her that to ease her pain. So how long are you really expected to live?"

Lynnette closed her eyes and sighed, fighting down the pain of the truth. "At most, I've got two months, three if I continue to gamble with these pills. The yellow notebook I gave Kagome today is a copy of my Will. Truth is that those pills are the only thing keeping me alive, if I miss so much as one day for any reason... The years I've spent under chemo have destroyed more than the cancer itself did."

Inuyasha nodded in understanding. "So if you continue to take those pills, you'll continue to live longer?"

"Yes, for a price."

"What the hell's chemo?" He finally asked, getting tired of her using the word and not explaining the meaning.

She thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "Chemo is a very dangerous drug. If the cancer is caught in time, the chemo can slow the spread- and maybe if you're lucky- kill the cancer entirely. The cost however, is very high. Think of Chemo as an army that's gone berserk. This army will not only kill off the enemy, but anything that comes in its path."

He nodded yet again. "So these things cost something? If you go to the Feudal Era, you won't have those to rely on since you can't pay for it," he concluded.

"I'll get enough pills to last me three months and take them with me."

"When can you get them?"

She paused, thinking. "I'll have to check with the doctor. One of the pills I'm taking is a very high dose of a special type of painkiller, that's what I need the most. In the end, the chemo is what was killing me, you see, the chemo not only kills the cancer, but also kills the signals needed in every day bodily functions. That's why I'm so ugly now."

"Even if I let you travel with us, what will you do when a demon attacks? I'm sure Kagome or I will help out, but if we are distracted, do you have anything to even protect yourself with?"

Lynnette looked Inuyasha dead in the eyes as she gave her answer, "I'll hide, or play dead. If it gets me, run; don't even try to save me."

Inuyasha's eyes widened at hearing such an honest reply. 'What the hell! Does she even care about her life?' His mind asked as it raced. "W...what?" he stuttered out.

"Inuyasha, I'm dying, and my scent must sicken you more with every second. What point would there be in saving me from an outside threat when I'm dying from the inside? At this point, I'm more worried about Kagome than I am for myself. If my death with save Kame, so be it."

Inside he knew that he would have to put up with more trouble trying to save her, but to show that he was supposedly non caring, he snorted out," It's your life."

Lynnette smiled sadly. "Give me your hand."

He reluctantly followed her command. "What are you going to do?" He questioned, slightly nervous.

Lynnette didn't answer, instead she put his hand on her stomach. The area was completely hard, and a flash of pain crossed her face.

"So this is it, huh?" He guessed, noticing the pain on her face. He quickly removed his hand, not wanting to harm her.

"The hardness means I'm in the final stage of this kind of cancer. Every time it gets a little harder, I'm one step closer to dying. The pictures I saw today showed me that the cancer is shoving my stomach, they told me that within three weeks the pills and liquids will be all I'll be able to ingest, if that."

He tried to digest the information. "Why did you tell me that?"

"So you won't be surprised when I stop eating and start popping pills."

"Oh," was all he managed to say.

"You are the leader, you had to know. I'm the weakest link in the chain; therefore I can keep no secrets regarding my health."

"We don't even know if the well will work. The only ones known to cross through it, is me and Kagome. So if it doesn't work, you'll have to come back here or something."

"Either way, I'll have been out of these walls for a little while." A sudden yawn emerged from her, though she covered it. "It's almost dawn."

He looked out of the window and saw the lightened sky. "I'll have to think about it," he decided. "But I still think that you should reconsider..." With that, he walked towards the window and pushed the glass aside.

Lynnette turned off the overhead light, smiling slightly. "Thank you Inuyasha."

He didn't respond, even though it was pretty evident that he heard, with his dog-ears twitching every which way. He only gave a slight nod and jumped out.

Yawning, Lynnette choked down her pills, scooted down and fell slept for the first time in two weeks with a smile on her face. For once, she was not afraid to sleep.

Inuyasha bounded towards Kagome's shrine grounds, in deep thought. 'Should I risk Lynnette's health for her and Kagome's happiness?' he thought in his head. Suddenly another thought came to mind. 'What the hell did she mean when she said that Kagome has different feelings? Does it mean that Kagome loves Lynnette back?' He stiffened up and then thought. 'Wait; why the fuck should I care about Kagome's love life anyways? It's not like I should care.'

Thinking of Kagome, he already knew the answer. "But I care because I love her," he finished aloud. His gold eyes softened at those words.


	4. Freedom, shopping, and conversation

Author's Note: As always Turtlequeen2, I've loved working with you! I'm sorry that it took so long for me to get this up, I hope all of you enjoy this chapter!

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Inuyasha had decided to check on Kagome since he was back from talking to Lynnette. Jumping onto his usual branch in the tree by her window the hanyou retracted slightly when he smelled the strong scent of her tears.

Kagome was laying curled on the bed, tearstains clear on her face and a photo album left open on the floor.

The hanyou cautiously stepped into her room since her window was open. He silently dropped to the floor and seen her lithe form, uncovered and curled up in sleep.

Gently, so she wouldn't catch cold, he dragged the covers up to cover her body and backed away without a sound. Then he spotted the photo album open on the floor and his clawed hand lightly ran over it. 'What the hell is this,' he questioned in his mind. He smelled her tears on it.

The picture that he was looking at showed a healthy Lynnette sitting in her wheelchair with her sender arm wrapped around a laughing Kagome's shoulders. Lynnette's blue eyes were laughing and clear while her face was unmarred by pain lines. Though she was still slender in a photo, it wasn't the unhealthy wasting shell she had become.

The date underneath the photo was a mere eight months ago.

Inuyasha's eyes widened at the picture. 'Damn...it wasn't that long ago either,' he said mentally. 'This was during Kagome's travels with us too. How much did she truly miss out on?' he asked himself. Then he contradicted himself. 'Keh! But that wench has duties searching for the Jewel Shards too!' While he felt a little guilty deep down, he knew that Kagome had a job to do too. Never had he felt so confused before.

He flipped through a few more pages, seeing more Lynnette pictures. 'The woman changed so much in a few months! Did Kagome just come back here one day and find her like this? How long have I selfishly kept her in the Feudal Era when she could've looked after Lynnette?' After a long moment, Inuyasha shook his head. 'But it's her own fault since she never told me,' he defended then continued, his eyes softening, 'But would I have listened? Possibly not, the way I used to be...' he trailed off.

Kagome shifted in her sleep, reaching up towards the empty air, whimpering in her sleep.

Inuyasha got broken out of his reverie when he heard Kagome's whimpering. He looked towards her direction and seen her reaching out for something.

"Lynnette... no... please don't..." She mumbled.

'What is she saying?' he asked himself. He flicked his ears towards her, trying to hear what she was saying in her sleep.

"Please... don't go... not yet... leave her alone... can't have her... you can't take her away!"

'Take her where?' Inuyasha demanded to himself.

"Lynnette... please don't go... I'm not ready... don't die…" Kagome muttered softly.

He was hit with a sudden realization. 'She is dreaming of Lynnette dying!' He exclaimed in his mind. Not wanting her to suffer anymore pain, Inuyasha rushed to her side. He lightly shook her, trying to wake her from her nightmare. "Kagome, wake up," Inuyasha murmured.

"Don't leave me alone!" Kagome screamed, finally waking up and sitting bolt upright in bed, pushing him hard. Her chocolate brown eyes were wide with fear.

Inuyasha, surprised, fell over with a loud thud onto the floor. He got back up, about to yell at her, but held back, hearing the horror stricken scream from Kagome. "Kagome?" was the only thing he could manage, staring up at her in shock.

Kagome was breathing hard, her eyes wide and unseeing for a moment, sheer terror still written on her face. "Inu-Inuyasha..." Swinging her feet off the bed, she threw off the covers. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong! I should be asking you that," he retorted. "You're the one screaming in your sleep."

Shuddering, she stood, bending over to pick up the worn photo album. "I was having a nightmare...

"About Lynnette, wasn't it?" The hanyou asked softly.

"Yeah… I dreamed that Naraku had her, and he was making the cancer grow faster and faster... She was screaming at me to run, to get away before the cancer got me too..."

"Kagome..." he sighed. "You know there's no way in hell that I'd ever let Naraku do that," he explained before he thought about his words really meant.

Tears filled Kagome's eyes. "I wouldn't leave. I fought with her, I begged her not to give up. Naraku laughed as Lynnette died in my arms."

He growled at the mention of Naraku's plan. "Where was me and the rest of the group?" he asked.

"All of you just stood there... empty looks on your faces. You said that she was just a weak human and deserved to die... Kikyou was there and you were holding her hand laughing with Naraku as she died.."

His eyes widened. "Dammit Kagome! You know I'd never do that!" he exclaimed.

Kagome just nodded, wiping away her tears.

"I want to know something. Why are you so determined to let Lynnette go to the Feudal Era when you're worried about Naraku at the same time?"

"So she won't be alone again." Kagome said quietly before starting to pace. "I wasn't there this time when she relapsed. She's been in that hospital, all alone, for three months now."

The hanyou's eyes widened in surprise. His mind reeled at the thought of being stuck in that place for so long, if that wasn't hell, then he didn't know what was.

"They wouldn't let her contact anyone until last week because she was so sick! Lynnette's been calling here since at least five times a day trying to get a hold of me!"

Inuyasha suddenly stiffened up, thinking that Kagome was blaming him. "Keh! Maybe if Lynnette wasn't so weak then we wouldn't have to worry about making her wait so long for you to see her," he retorted out defensively. After saying that, even he knew that was harsh considering that it wasn't Lynnette's fault. 'Where are her parents?' Inuyasha asked himself.

"She's brave enough to have beat it twice before!" Kagome cried. "It's not her fault her parents abandoned her because she fell in love!"

He gulped. "Fell in love!" he asked in shock.

Kagome dropped her eyes, not wanting to say too much. "She fell in love with someone who her parents didn't approve of."

His eyes widened again. 'Please tell me it's not who I'm thinking of!' He exclaimed in his mind.

"They threw her out... then her lover cheated on her while she was battling cancer a second time and dumped Lynnette in the streets! She took care of me, and now I'm taking care of her."

He nodded, taking it all in. "So, besides you, she has no one else here?" He asked.

Kagome's eyes burned with smothered anger. "No, I'm all she's got."

"So, in the Feudal Era, do you think she could restart her life?"

"Or at least find some happiness in the time she's got left." The words were a whisper

In that moment, he made up his mind. He would try to help Kagome and Lynnette. Although, he already knew it was leaning towards that way after his recent conversation with the girl in the hospital.

Kagome gently put her photo album on her desk, shaking her head sadly. "I could kill that bitch... even after all this time, I could still kill her and do it with a smile on my face." She muttered softly.

His face softened at that. He's never heard her refer to anyone as a "bitch" before. She must really hated the person who hurt Lynnette. "Alright wench...I'll help..." he sighed.

"Though I think I'll regret it later..." he muttered.

"Thank you." Kagome said softly. "We will not be a burden."

"So when will we leave?" He wondered.

Suddenly a shrill ringing sound filled the air, with a fearful cry, Kagome ran out of the room and made a dash downstairs. It was only six-thirty in the morning.

Inuyasha charged out after her, his heart in his mouth, expecting the worst.

In her excitement, Kagome nearly pulled the phone out of the wall. "Hello? Lynnette? what, oh my! Yahoo! When? All right!" Laughing, Kagome did a little dance as she listened.

The bewildered hanyou only raised his eyebrow at the spectacle. 'What the hell is she going on about?' he asked himself silently. His face bore a look of pure confusion.

"Yes, Inuyasha and I will meet you outside! See you then!" Kagome hung up the phone and let loose a whoop of pure joy.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha pondered. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

The yelling woke up everybody else in the house, but their anger vanished when Kagome grinned. "They're letting Lynnette out of the hospital."

"Could you stop screaming wench! You're hurting my damn ears!" He yelled, holding his hands over his sensitive ears in emphasis.

All Kagome did was laugh as she went into the kitchen.

"You owe me for this, Kagome," he said, grumpily, while inwardly, he grinned for being able to see her smile.

Mrs. Higurashi gave Kagome a credit card. "Have fun shopping, Lynnette will need her meds and new clothes too." Kagome hugged her mom. "Thanks mom!"

"Can I stay in my normal clothes?" Inuyasha questioned, not wanting to wear the clothes from Kagome's time.

"Yeah, if you want, just remember the hat!"

"Keh!" was his only response, though he smirked a little, knowing that he could be comfortable in his own outfit. Inuyasha went quickly into Kagome's room to take off Tetsusaiga. For some reason beyond his understanding, Kagome always got upset if he was wearing it while in her time. "Could you buy some more of your ninja food?" Inuyasha then asked.

Sure! Lynnette will be really hungry!" Kagome was practically skipping to her room.

His smirk grew into a small grin. He was happy that he would get more ramen. He was pretty certain that Shippou would be happy with his fair share of candy too, as much as he was annoyed at the runt. Then the hanyou stopped in his tracks at the mention of Lynnette's appetite. The woman didn't eat because she couldn't keep her food down. and within a few weeks, she won't even be able to hold anything else down but pills and liquid. With a quick decision, a concluded on waiting for Lynnette to tell Kagome herself, but he'd have to watch over her in the meantime.

A beaming Kagome came back into the room, then put the bag in the chair. "We have time for breakfast before we leave Inuyasha."

"Ok," came his response. It wasn't like he'd turn it down.

A few hours later, they were heading down the street, Kagome humming under her breath.

"We are going to the hospital right?" He wondered, confused with her reaction.

"Yeah. She'll be meeting us outside."

Inuyasha suddenly stopped and bent down in front of her. When she eyed him with a confused look and his only reply was "What? Get on! I don't got all day."

Kagome grinned and got on his back. "Thank you."

He only nodded and took off into the sky, landing on top of various buildings. It cost him on effort as he bounded off towards the familiar location he went to only last night.

Lynnette was calmly waiting outside in her power wheelchair, looking like a fragile doll dressed in oversized jeans, t-shirt and shoes. Her left hand was resting on the joystick of her power wheelchair.

In less than a few minutes, they spotted the hospital looming up ahead. He landed straight in front of Lynnette, the poor girl looking scared out of her wits at the surprising entrance.

Lynnette took deep breaths as all color had left her face. Kagome calmly got off his back and embraced Lynnette, kissing her gently on the forehead. "Hi beautiful."

Inuyasha looked confused by the odd greeting. His eyes wide open as they were so often now. The hanyou crossed his arms and looked away in a light blush. After the moment passed, he decided to avert their attention ."C'mon, we ain't got all day!"

The redhead smiled at Inuyasha, but took Kagome's hand and held it with her free hand as they started to move. "I thought I wouldn't see Inuyasha again after your visit. Souta's PS2 is on the back of my chair Kame."

Kagome smiled. "Mom gave me her credit card so that me could go shopping today after me get your meds."

Inuyasha walked behind the two, feeling uneasy about the girls holding hands. Lynnette looked even more pale in the sunlight, seeing that hasn't been for so long.

"You look more alive in the sunlight," Inuyasha commented. Walking closer to Lynnette, he flashed her a quick smirk to show her that he remembered last night. He put on his grumpy expression before Kagome could catch it, making Lynnette smile in return.

"I feel more alive now that I'm out in the world again. I hated it in there." Lynnette winked at Inuyasha as she smiled. Kagome let go of Lynnette's hand and opened the door for her. "Inuyasha, will you go with Lynnette while she picks up a few things while I see about getting her order filled?"

"Keh! I don't see why I have to," he grumbled, but did what he was told.

Lynnette gave Kagome her prescription and watched as Kagome walked off.

"So, what do you have to do?" He asked, not really familiar with the things Kagome wanted him to do.

"Just follow me and if I need something I can't reach, you can get it for me." Lynnette explained as she started to drive at his side.

He gave a simple nod, following her lead. All the while, he keep looking around him. Inuyasha had never quite gotten over how different Kagome's world was from his own.

Most of the things she picked out were travel items. Rose scented soap and shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, and other various odds and ends

Inuyasha recognized most of the weird items as ones Kagome brought with her to his time. He never understood what they were for though. "Why do you buy those things? Your scent won't be any different to demons," Inuyasha explained.

"I guess I'm homesick in a way... I miss the scent of roses." She said quietly as she put the lotion in her basket. "I'm glad I can't smell what you smell..."

Meanwhile, Inuyasha was thinking back to what Kagome said earlier that morning about her getting kicked out of her home because of loving someone her parents didn't approve of. "So what is it about roses that remind you of home?" he decided to ask.

"We had a huge rose garden, they grew everywhere. I used to go to school every day with a rose in my hair." She answered as she continued to shop.

Inuyasha's eyes glazed over in memory and he lightly smiled. "That's like how sakura blossoms remind me of my mother. When I was little, I used to think that she was always among them because she loved them so much."

Lynnette smiled. "When I got cancer the first time, Kagome used to bring me roses while I was in the hospital. It made my parents so mad..." She laughed softly in remembrance.

Inuyasha let a small smile slip through his irritated gaze, softening his facial expression some.

The redhead shook her head. "Already they thought Kagome was my lover, even though she told them otherwise. My parents didn't believe us..."

Stunned, the hanyou's eyes widened. "L...lover!" he choked out in shock. His eye twitched in surprise as he stopped to stare at her.

Now she dropped her gaze from the hanyou. "I've said too much..."

"What the hell do you mean?" He pressed, not willing to let the subject drop.

She sighed, cursing herself. "I am a lover of women. A lesbian."

He raised his eyebrow in question. In his time, he'd never heard of a woman who was attracted to other women. "I've never heard of that." he admitted.

"I'm not surprised." Slowly the fear in her scent ebbed, she had been afraid that he would cause a scene.

"So that's you meant when you said that you loved Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, fully curious.

"Yes, and no. We are soul sisters. Her heart has been given to another, and even if I were to tell her, I... I have nothing to offer her now..." Lynnette shook her head. "She doesn't know how I feel."

Even though feelings of jealousy raged through him, he still couldn't growl after hearing that statement. That's the same way he felt towards Kagome. That he had nothing to offer her. Being hanyou, he could offer her nothing but protection; not wealth nor a home she could call her own.

Deciding to change the subject away from Kagome, he asked, "So because of you being a lover of women, your parents didn't want you?"

Lynnette nodded. "More or less. It's not common, and there are no laws protecting us. According to most people, we who are lovers of our own gender are a sin against nature and deserve to die."

His eyes softened. Though she was an outcast for a different reason, people in his time thought of him as an outcast seemly because he was a hanyou. He was wanted by neither human or youkai. Knowing this, Inuyasha couldn't help but feel compassion for her. "Heh. Sort of reminds me on how I'm supposedly a sin against nature myself. Until I met Kagome, I hated my own existence because I am a hanyou. A sin amongst both human and youkai. I can't belong to either group."

"It's bad enough being born with a disability and being forced to use a wheelchair all your life. My parents weren't exactly supportive of their daughter being a cripple, but they didn't hate me for it either. Then I met Faith after beating cancer the first time around...and hell literally became my world."

"Say, you wanna rest somewhere?" he suddenly asked, thinking that sitting down would help their conversation. He took the basket from her hands.

"Yeah. I think I've got everything I need. There's a food shop nearby. I'll be right back." Lynnette sped off and was back in two minutes. "I just told Kame where we would be, she'll meet us there." With a smile, Lynnette quietly led the way to the small food court inside the store.

Inuyasha followed behind soon after, getting overwhelmed by the many scents he began to smell from the food court.

Lynnette's lips twitched as her stomach growled slightly, but she ignored it as she pulled out a chair to make room for her wheelchair.

"Why don't you eat?" he questioned, he had no trouble picking up her stomach growling easily with his sensitive ears even though they were currently covered by his hat.

"Do you want something too? I'm just going to grab some soup." She said

"Keh! Don't give me that! I can tell by your stomach that you're more hungry than that! I'm fine, you get some food!" Inuyasha exclaimed, crossing his arms and smirked at her surprised look in triumph.

It took a minute before she could shut her open mouth with a snap. "You got me. I just didn't want to get ahead of myself."

His smirk grew slightly as she gave herself up to her hunger. "So, how's your life been hell?" he asked, wanting to continue their conversation from earlier. His small smile was replaced with a serious look. "Aside from your cancer, it doesn't sound all that much different than how my life used to be.

Lynnette looked thought as she came back with a large bowl of soup and a pretzel. "Well. I moved in with her when my parents kicked me out. Everything was going well until I got cancer a second time. While I was in the hospital, Faith took the opportunity to have some fun. She wouldn't even come see me in the hospital."

"So, Faith was like your lover?" Inuyasha questioned still trying to make sense with the whole "lesbian" thing.

"Yes, though we never..." Lynnette blushed before continuing. "Faith and I had been living together for three months by that time." The girl shook her head. "I was in the place I called hell for two weeks when Faith showed up to tell me that she had found somebody hotter than I would ever be and who was willing to give what I would not. She had brought all my things with her and left them there when she left."

His eyes narrowed at her description of Faith. How can a girl she loved, get up and walk out like that? "She must not have cared enough about you," he concluded, spilling the words out without really thinking about them. "A person who loves you, would never walk out for another like that."

Lynnette nodded. "I know that now... but at the time... Thank the Goddess Kame was there."

Smiling a little, he confessed. "Yea, Kagome helped me out in more ways than she'd ever know."

Taking a deep breath, Lynnette looked him in the eyes before showing him the scar on her left wrist. "She saved my life."

"What happened?" He immediately pondered the question out loud, unaware that he had actually spoken.

"I was stupid and tried to commit suicide that night." There was no emotion in her voice.

Once again, the woman succeeded to make the hanyou go into shock. Quickly covering it up, he crossed his arms and turned away, stating," That was a stupid thing to do." Under his breath, he mumbled," I'll never understand humans..."

Luckily for him, she didn't hear that. "I had lost my home, the woman I thought I loved, and I was sick on top of it all. Frankly, I was fed up." Lynnette was slowly eating while they talked. "Kame has helped me a lot, She's been with me ever since, even when she was gone to the feudal era, she always found time for me."

Inuyasha turned his stare towards her, thinking. He sighed at a sudden realization. "I guess what I did wasn't all that different. When I was first released from my fifty year sleep, I wanted to become a full fledged demon to escape my emotions. I didn't stop to think that I'd loose all memories of my friends at that wish. It was almost like killing off my soul."

Nodding, she smiled at Inuyasha. "Maybe it wasn't killing off your soul as much as it was tearing it in half."

"What do you mean?" He asked in confusion.

"The human part contains your emotions and memories. While your demon," Here her mouth twisted and her eyes apologized for the use of that word, "part of you gives you your physical endurance and the will to other come anything."

Inuyasha nodded at her in thought. "I guess I never thought about it that way before."

Kagome's scent mingled with the scent of roses gave her away before either saw her. She put a finger to her lips to silence Inuyasha, her chocolate eyes laughing as she slowly crept up behind Lynnette.

The hanyou couldn't help but smirk a little as he watched Kagome sneak up behind Lynnette, but he didn't look up to the miko so as not to give her away.

Then Kagome hugged Lynnette from behind before showing her the dozen white roses, smiling as Lynnette's wide eyed surprise. "What? You didn't think I forgot about our tradition did you teacher?" Lynnette smiled, blushing. "Kame, you are a sweetheart." Kagome smiled back. "I wanted you to smell roses again, since I've never seen any in the feudal era."

Inuyasha only looked confused. "What the hell's going on here?" Was the only thing he could manage.

Kagome and Lynnette just shared a secret smile. "Just a gift." they both said at the same time. Kagome then nodded. "Let's go, I've got your medicines, now I need to buy you better clothes."

Inuyasha only rolled his eyes out of annoyance and got up to follow them. He couldn't wait until this day ended so they could go back to hunting shards...

It took a long time to buy clothes that weren't too big on her. Still Lynnette looked very happy when they had finally finished and started to head back to the shrine.


	5. Goodbyes and Journey to the past

Thanks to turtlequeen2 for all of your help with everything, I'm happy that people seem to like this fanfic so far. Sorry that this chapter took so long to finish and post. Please remember to review and let us know what you think so far.

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"So Kagome, how do you plan to go about getting her down the well?" Inuyasha asked, wondering the question himself.

"Lynnette, when we get home, I'll help you take a bath before we leave." Ignoring Lynnette's frightened expression, she answered Inuyasha's question. "I'll take Lynnette's pushchair with me, but you'll have to carry Lynnette while she holds the sacred jewel shards."

He nodded. "Let's hope that this works," he responded.

Lynnette shot a look of apology to Inuyasha, but her scent smelled of terror.

Inuyasha caught her scent and lightly tensed up. Unknown to either of the girls, was the simple fact that he was nervous about this too. Especially since, he was the one that finally relented to let Lynnette come in the first place.

Kagome held her big travel bag in one hand while she held Lynnette's hand tightly in the other. "Don't try to weasel out of it sis, you getting a bath!"

'Why is Lynnette so afraid of a bath?' Inuyasha pondered in his mind as he watched the battle with some amusement.

The terror in Lynnette's scent had now turned into a deep sadness. "All right Kame... you win."

'What's with that woman?' he asked himself. 'Is she scared of water?'

When they got to the shine, Kagome locked both girls in the bathroom. After half an hour they both came out clean but had deeply wounded expressions in their eyes. Kagome hugged Lynnette and quickly left the room, saying something about getting packed.

Inuyasha was waiting impatiently in the kitchen, having retrieved Tetsusaiga from where he had left it. Kagome's brother was attempting to talk to him.

Lynnette rolled into the kitchen "We leave in ten minutes."

"Keh! Finally!" he exclaimed, grumpy from waiting for so long.

Lynnette shook her head before placing six pill bottles in a fanny pack from the bag Kagome had left on the table.

"Do you have anymore packs?" he asked, prepared to carry anything.

"Kagome's putting my things in a separate pack that will hang the back on my chair." Lynnette said, as she belted the fanny pack around her waist with a bit of wiggling. "Kagome might need help since we bought extra Ramen and goodies." She did not add that she had she own supply of ramen.

His ears, with the hat taken off, visibly perked up at the sound of the word "ramen." He tried hard to keep the grin from forming.

"Inuyasha! Can you help me please?" Kagome called from the top of the stairs.

The hanyou followed Kagome's voice to help her out.

Kagome had her usual bag now strapped to her back, and was dragging a smaller, but heavier black bag beside her. "Thanks."

Inuyasha took the yellow backpack from Kagome's back and pulled one strap over his shoulder with ease. After doing this so many times, he stopped asking why she continued to bring so much stuff with her when she went to the feudal era. He let her carry the smaller black one for Lynnette.

It took Kagome a bit of effort to get the black bag off the floor. "Whew! Let's get these down the well, and then I'll get her other chair."

He stifled an annoyed groan and walked towards the well in a rush. Within the next minute, he already deposited both of the backpacks down the well.

Kagome came forward rolling a folded up chair in front of her with a slightly worried looking Lynnette following as far as the base of the stairs.

"Do you have the shards?" Inuyasha demanded, as he usually did.

"I put two of them around Lynnette's neck." Kagome replied, careful to keep her voice calm.

He nodded, noticing the slivers on Lynnette's neck. There were still the ones around Kagome's as well.

Kagome carefully wrestled with the chair, disappearing with it down the well. "See you on the other side Lynnette!" She called.

Inuyasha bent down to pick up Lynnette and held in a gasp as he felt how light she was in his arms. He only remarked, "You better hold on tight."

Lynnette wrapped her left arm around his shoulders and took hold of her opposite wrist, taking as much weight off him as she could while still being supported by her hold. "Sorry you got stuck carrying me. If it helps, I'm scared too."

He looked down at her and scoffed, "Keh! I'm not scared of nothing." Of course, it was a lie, but he said it to reassure them both. Inuyasha held in his breath as he stepped onto the edge of the well and jumped down. He felt the familiar pull of the blue light pull him through to his side of the well.

To his shock, the shards around Lynnette's neck glowed bright as she still held fast to his arms. She made it.

The jewel shards seemed to be reassuring Lynnette, as they were slightly warm. She still looked nervous though. "I hope they'll all like me..." She whispered.

His ears didn't fail to pick up what she said. "Trust me, the group is the most unusual one you'll meet here," he responded, jumping out of the well.

Lynnette hissed slightly as they landed, but other than that showed no sign of pain that shot up her back. Kagome had already set up the other wheelchair and was doing a small victory dance.

The hanyou let a small smirk break through at seeing Kagome happy. He carefully helped Lynnette into her waiting wheelchair, having heard the soft hiss and not wanting to cause her any more pain. After standing straight again, he pulled up the yellow bag again, asking, "So, are we ready?"

Her slender hands felt around for her seatbelt and once it had clicked into place and pulled tightly as possible she gave a nervous smile. "Ready." Lynnette held the black one in her lap and Kagome started to push Lynnette towards Keade's hut.

"Keh! I can already hear that runt now," Inuyasha stated, rolling his eyes.

Kagome walked smoothly along, being careful not to go too fast down the hill. "Hey everyone, we're back!" She called.

"Kagome!" Came the happy shout as a ball of fur came flying out of the hut only to stop dead in it's tracks and a sick expression to cross the young fox's face.

Inuyasha glared at the kitsune with crossed arms. He mouthed, "Don't even think about it."

"Hi Shippou!" Kagome said, waiting as Lynnette put on her breaks before going over to pick him up. "This is Lynnette, my best friend from my time."

Shippou managed a nod, fighting with his stomach. "Hello Lynnette."

Lynnette smiled. "It's nice to meet you too Shippou."

Miroku and Sango walked up to the group. "Ah, I see that you're back Inuyasha, Kagome-sama," Miroku stated, smiling. "And who's this?" he asked, smiling kindly at Lynnette.

Sango's voice was filled with joy as she greeted her friend, momentary ignoring Lynnette. "Kagome-chan! I missed you so much!"

Kagome beamed, wrapping one arm around Lynnette's shoulders in silent support while still holding Shippou in the other. "Sango, Miroku, this is Lynnette. She's my best friend in my time."

Lynnette smiled a bit shyly. "Hello everyone, It's nice to finally meet all of you." "It's nice to meet you, Lynnette-sama," Miroku said kindly.

"Inuyasha's told us a little bit about you already," Sango explained with a serious face on.

Smiling at Inuyasha gratefully, she nodded. "I'm sure he hasn't tried to scare you all. Thank you for allowing me to meet all of you."

"Keh!" Inuyasha said, turning his head away from all of the stares he was getting. He lightly blushed, but it was hardly noticeable.

Lynnette just laughed. "He's a bit grumpy right now."

"So you will be joining us?" Sango asked.

"If that's okay with everyone, I'll try my best not to get in the way."

Kagome just smiled. "You're never in the way Lynnette."

"It's great to have you join us," Miroku said. "As they always say, the more the merrier."

Kagome turned her smile fully on Miroku, and Lynnette blushed a little before asking a question. "Thank you. Sango, don't you have a cat?"

As if on cue, Kirara came out of the hut and jumped into Sango's arms. "Oh yes! This is Kirara," she introduced.

"Hello Kirara. You're very pretty. May I pet you?" Lynnette asked politely

Kirara mewed in delight and jumped into her arms. Sango smiled at the sight. "It seems that Kirara likes you."

Lynnette smiled softly. "I like her too. I'm a cat lover. Her fur is very soft." She gently ran a tender hand along Kirara's back.

"Wait until you see her in her giant form," the taijiya giggled.

Lynnette's eyes widened before she spoke to the cat demon in her lap. "Put on a bit of a growth spurt do you kitty?"

Kirara stared up at her and mewed in innocence again.

"C'mon! When are we gonna leave? Naraku could be gathering jewel shards as we speak!" Inuyasha exclaimed irritated.

"Inuyasha, quit your complaining," Miroku said calmly. "We should get to know Lynnette-sama first."

"Keh! You're all pissing me off!" Inuyasha stated, jumping into a random tree sulking.

"Inuyasha! SIT!" Kagome shouted curtly, angry that he was acting like a spoiled child in front of her friend.

"Gyahh!" Inuyasha yelled, breaking the branch going down.

"Idiot..." Shippou muttered while Lynnette laughed, resting a hand on Kagome's arm. "Don't be too mad Kame, he is right. You've wasted enough time on me as it is. Besides, I've heard stronger language than that before."

Kagome just shook her head. "Lynnette, someone needs to teach him manners."

Inuyasha's spell was wearing off and he muttered into the ground, "Damn you Kagome!"

Lynnette suddenly unlocked her chair and tried to roll over to him, cursing her weak limbs. "Inuyasha, watch your tongue! Curse me all you will, but don't you dare curse Kagome!"

Inuyasha, now back on his feet, mentally winced but held onto his glare, stubbornly.

"Inuyasha, I have to agree with Lynnette-sama. One must treat women with respect," Miroku stated, with a wistful smile on his face.

Sango turned her glare on the monk and her tone became demanding. "And just what do you mean by that Houshi-sama!"

Lynnette gritted her teeth, controlling the wrathful shaking of her body, glaring back at Inuyasha with anger burning in her eyes.

Knowing that he'd loose this fight, the hanyou turned away, grumbling under his breath.

Sango, still keeping her glare on Miroku, wanted his reply.

The monk put his hand behind his hand and laughed nervously. "S...Sango, I just meant that Inuyasha should treat women with better respect."

"Yea right," she growled out, rolling her eyes.

"Keh! You're one to talk monk!" Inuyasha scoffed, hearing Miroku's reply.

Lynnette relaxed, sighing softly, suppressing her weariness. "Miroku, take your own advice and apologize, cause you are now outnumbered!"

"I agree," Sango said angrily, glaring down at the poor monk. She clutched at her hiraikotsu tighter, as though prepared to beat the poor monk.

Lynnette flashed a happy smile at Sango, stroking Kirara in content.

Miroku relented and sighed, his head hanging. "I'm always misunderstood..." "No, you're just a lecher!" Sango shouted. The taijiya stared back at Lynnette and flashed the redhead a small smirk.

"I'm glad I'm not pretty anymore..." Lynnette whispered softly to herself as she watched the interplay between the monk and the taijiya. "Otherwise I'd be in big trouble."

Inuyasha's ears perked up upon hearing that. His eyes softened, his anger leaving him. He turned his gaze back upon her, but didn't say anything. Just by his gaze, she could tell that he overheard.

Lynnette just smiled sadly up at Inuyasha, acceptance in her eyes. "Let's go." She said out loud. "It would be a shame to waste such a beautiful day."

"Finally!" Inuyasha shouted in exasperation, earning a glare from everyone in the group.

Sango sighed, "Really Inuyasha, you need to learn how to have patience."

"Not everyone can Sango." Lynnette replied with a smile as Kagome pushed her along, Kirara resting contently in her lap.

"Unfortunately," Sango sighed in agreement.

Lynnette looked all around her. "I love it here already."

Miroku, who had recovered by now, looked at the horizon and smiled. "Ah, yes. Buddha has blessed this Earth with much beauty."

"Blessed be the Goddess and may She be remembered forever." Lynnette whispered, smiling. Kagome smiled in content.

When night fell and the group made camp, Inuyasha's stomach was still grumbling as usual. There were no rumors heard of jewel shards or Naraku as of now, which contributed in the hanyou's bad mood. Kagome was making ramen for the group and Lynnette was making conversation with Sango.

"Kirara doesn't seem to want to get off my lap Sango. I hope I haven't stolen your pet."

Sango laughed a little. "Kirara likes you is all. It's rare when she takes to someone this fast."

Lynnette laughed softly, stroking the cat's head. "Are you just hoping for treats kitty?" She asked the cat. "I'm surprised that she took to me so quickly. I was fully expecting that she wouldn't want to get anywhere near me."

Sango's look turned more serious. "Lynnette-chan, you shouldn't think so lowly of yourself. Kirara takes to someone with a pure and kind soul such as yourself." "Inuyasha warned me of how I smelled Sango-chan. I'm just glad I can't smell it myself." Then she smiled. "Sometimes the only way to deal with something is to turn it into a joke."

Inuyasha, who was finished eating by now and sitting in the branch of a tree above them, sat against the trunk with his arms crossed. His eyes grew solemn at Lynnette's words. 'Keh! I never joked around about being a hanyou. I just lived with it...' he thought in his mind.

Miroku smiled at Kagome. "Arigatou, Kagome-sama for a delicious meal as usual!"

Sango's eyes saddened for Lynnette. "Lynnette-chan..." she sighed.

"It must be hard for you," Miroku said, deciding to jump into the conversation. "Yes Kagome, thank you very much." Lynnette replied, having eaten an entire two bowls. Kagome smiled, which made it worth the tightening into her belly. Then she turned her attention back to Miroku's statement. "I won't say that it has been easy, but at least I've had a true friend by my side the whole time though." Her smile embraced them all. "You are all my friends now, and for that I'm thankful." Kirara rubbed against her, and Lynnette laughed even as it hurt. "Yes Kirara, you too."

Sango and Miroku smiled genuinely. Shippou puffed his chest out in pride as he sat on Kagome's shoulder.

Inuyasha smiled a little, but no one could see it. "Keh!" came his only response as he was trying to hide it.

Grinning Lynnette picked up the water bucket. "Does anyone want a drink before going to bed?

Kagome smiled as she gently detached Shippou from her shoulder. "Sure, I'll help." Shippou grinned at Inuyasha as the two girls went off. "I was walking next to Lynnette, while you were bouncing off ahead."

Inuyasha was really ticked off at Shippou's words. "Keh! Shut the hell up!" he shouted irritated. He held up a fist as a threat.

Shippou just glared. "Well she does. Lynnette smells worse than Kikyou!"

"What the hell did you say!" he bellowed out, his anger rising.

Miroku was staring at the feuding pair and rolled his eyes, but didn't say a word to either of them. 'Here we go again…'

"You heard me. Gee Inuyasha, I didn't know you had a hearing problem." Shippou said innocently.

A vein popped out of Inuyasha's head. With a growl of irritation, he slammed his fist down onto the small kitsune's head, causing a lump to form. "I said shut the fuck up!"

Miroku tried to calm the hostility brewing between the two. "Please calm down Inuyasha. You know Shippou didn't mean that."

Now turning his glare towards Miroku, the hanyou growled out, "Like hell! He knew perfectly well what he was saying, that's why I hit him!

Sango and Miroku just stared at the two in exasperation. "Shippou really needs to watch his mouth," the taijiya sighed.

Miroku nodded in agreement, scooting closer to her.

When the girls came back a few minutes later, Kagome opened her mouth to say something, but Lynnette just shook her head.

Inuyasha's ears were flat against his skull, awaiting the dreaded sit from Hell. Shippou was crying from the blow to the head and Miroku was shaking his head with a sigh.

Kagome raised her eyebrows to Lynnette as she put the water to boil. "Leave them be Kame, both must learn to watch their tongues. I think that this time the younger one earned his lump." Lynnette said firmly.

Inuyasha turned with his eyes widened at Lynnette and Kagome. He couldn't hide his shock. So before anyone could say anything, he turned his head away fast with his arms crossed in his haori sleeves.

"But Lynnette…" Kagome started, but stopped when Lynnette held up her hand. "Shippou may or may not have spoken the truth; we don't know because we did not hear what was said. However, you can't protect Shippou all of your life Kame, no matter how much you might wish to. If you try, he'll either become a spoiled brat or he'll never grow up." Knowing Lynnette was only telling the truth, Kagome just sighed.

Miroku and Sango had to admit that they agreed with Lynnette's words.

"Kagome-sama, if I may, I would have to agree with Lynnette-sama on this. What Shippou said was completely out of line," Miroku stated.

"I would agree as well. You can't always protect Shippou. He is a growing youkai and needs to learn to fend for himself someday," Sango pointed out.

Kagome sighed, looking regretfully at Shippou. "Perhaps I have coddled you too much Shippou..."

Shippou, for his part, looked no little surprised and afraid before shooting a dark look at Lynnette and storming away. 'it's not fair, why should Kagome have to listen to her! I was here before she came along!' He thought in anger.

The red haired girl just looked sad and regretful. "I am sorry if I said things that hurt him but..."

Inuyasha couldn't help the smirk that appeared on his face. He was glad that facing the other way because he knew that Kagome would've sat him for that.

"Perhaps someone should talk to Shippou," Sango sighed.

The young kitsune came back just before they all went to bed, but refused to say a word to anyone. If looks could have killed, Lynnette would have been dead in her chair. Lynnette was the only one who wasn't laying down but still sitting in her chair, having said that she needed to take care of her own needs and declining assistance.

Inuyasha glanced over at Lynnette, scrunching up his nose in slight disgust. His eyes softened however, noticing that her stomach was probably doing flips, judging by the ill smell that came from her in waves.

Lynnette waited calmly until everyone was asleep before quietly slipping off as carefully as she could.


	6. Secrets in the dark

Author's Notes: As always, thanks go out to turtlequeen2 for all of her help with this fic. I hope you enjoy this chapter everyone!

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However, the young woman felt so ill that she didn't notice that hanyou was still stirring. Inuyasha, becoming worried over his new companion, jumped off of the tree that he was laying in and began to follow her. He was careful not to make a sound. 

She rolled her chair away for only a few minutes, then found a stick and managed to dig a hole.

The hanyou watched with interest and worry as he witnessed her nightly ritual first-hand.

Small sounds quietly escaped her mouth, and she only had enough time to put the stick aside before leaning over and becoming very violently sick. Her small stomach unable to handle the amount of food she had just eaten.

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he seen her wretch into the hole. "Kuso!" he cursed under his breath as he held his huge haori sleeve over his mouth. 'She gets sick so easily...what the hell am I supposed to do now?' he thought in a panic.

Sniffing, Lynnette finished throwing up and rubbed her throat... "Goddess damn it all... This is your own fault Lynnette. The doctors warned you that this was going to happen! Did you listen? Nnnooo, you had to be a glutton on your first day..." She growled to herself.

Inuyasha heard every heard she muttered with his demonic senses and decided to show himself. "Lynnette..." he sighed, standing before her, trying desperately to hide the concern on his face. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked rudely, surprising her with his sudden presence.

His face held a scowl on it, though his eyes remained soft, showing her silently that hewas worried about her.

"I'm paying for my greedy belly. I ate too much." She replied in a rueful tone of voice.

"That little of food was too much for you?" he asked incredulously.

"You forget that I had a full lunch today. Compared to that slop they gave me in the hospital..." Lynnette shrugged, trying to keep the bitterness out of her face.

"Keh!" was the only thing he managed, not able to conjure up anything else to say.

"I'm not used to eating normal food, so it'll take a day or two before my body adjusts to this." She explained quietly, getting the stick and covering the mess she made.

The hanyou nodded, trying to take it all in. "So...are you feeling alright?" he asked, shifting his gaze to the ground.

"Other than the fact that I feel like a fool, yes." Lynnette rinsed out her mouth with a sigh using the water bottle at her side before she unzipped the fanny pack of her waist.

He raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "You think that made you look like a fool?"

"Well, I should have known better than to have that second helping, but I still don't like it when someone catches me spilling my guts..."

"Heh, I'd imagine so," he snorted in agreement. "Then again, I'd know all about being a fool wouldn't I?" he asked bitterly, directing the question more to himself.

"Everyone is a fool at some time in their life. The real question is did we learn from our mistake?" Lynnette said quietly, fingering the bottles. Taking out a bottle, she held it up to read the label, then put it back. "Darn..."

'Did I really learn from my mistake?' Inuyasha couldn't stop asking himself. He decided to save that thought in his head to wonder about later. "What's wrong with you?" he asked her.

"I can't see the labels, and I left my flashlight back at the camp." She answered.

"Oh that's all?" he said with a trace of annoyance in his voice. "Let me see it."

Handing him one of the bottles, she raised an eyebrow. "Can you read this?"

He looked taken aback and faintly offended by her question. "What? You think I can't? Keh! I'm not that stupid woman!" he declared, taking the bottle from her grasp.

"I was only asking because these are names I can't even pronounce." Lynnette explained, not meaning to offend him.

Inuyasha's brows furrowed in concentration as his gold eyes scanned the label of the bottle. "This name doesn't make sense...'Backlifin'?' That's the name on it though."

Lynnette made a soft sound of surprise, but made no comment as she smiled. "Thanks."

"What the hell is Backlifin supposed to mean? I swear, your time is so weird," Inuyasha commented in a mumble. Then he looked back up to her. "It was nothing," he shrugged. The hanyou thought for a moment before a smirk started to form on his face "You didn't think I could read could you?"

"No I didn't know that you could read. The names on the pills are technical." Taking the pill bottle back from him, she put it back, rolling farther into the moonlight and pulled out another. "Here we go!"

He gulped slightly. "Hey, what are you looking' for anyways?" the hanyou pondered with slight nervousness in his tone, though he tried to cover it up by looking away from her gaze. He was worried about the pill size, remembering what she took last time.

"My stomach relaxer. They promised me that it would be in a manageable form this time..."

"Oh, that's good then. Those things could probably kill even hanyous with the size," he said ruefully. He let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Lynnette struggled with the bottle. "Well, I still have to take the other ones too."

"I'd rather take that nasty shit that Kaede-baba makes than that," he said. "Are you sure that its healthy?"

"It's what the doctors gave me. I either take them or die." Swearing softly, she finally got it open and shook one out. "whew... aspirin size."

The hanyou mentally sighed in relief as he seen the small size of the pill. Then something struck him funny. 'Why the hell am I worrying so much about her? I just met the wench. What is it about her?' he asked himself. Inuyasha grew restless. "Well, you should get some sleep. We'll be leaving first thing in the morning and it's going to take a lot of energy."

Lynnette nodded, putting the cap back on and swallowing the pill dry. "I'll try."

Inuyasha wanted until Lynnette was finished. Then the two of them walked back to the camp in silence. He nodded to her as if saying a silent "good night." before hopping into his previous perch in the tree.

Putting on the brakes, Lynnette choked down the rest of her pills before slouching in her chair and dozing. "Night, sweet dreams Inuyasha..."

"'Night Lynnette," he murmured, leaning back against the trunk of the tree and closing his eyes.

As the two dozed off, they never noticed the bright eyes of the young kitsune watching them. He let a small growl escape his throat out of anger and frustration. "How can Inuyasha do such a thing? I knew that she was no good!" he concluded in anger, misunderstanding the meeting he witnessed between the two.

The next morning, Lynnette woke up before the others, getting a new change of clothes before she drove off.

During that whole morning, Shippou only threw glares at both their ways. Inuyasha only rolled his eyes, thinking that the kit was only annoying. Finally getting fed up with it, he demanded: "What's with you runt?"

"I can't believe you'd kiss that corpse." Shippou snapped, glaring at Lynnette as he answered

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "What the fuck are you going on about, brat!"

"Shippou-chan? What is with you?" Sango asked, raising her eyebrow in confusion.

"You know what I'm taking about, you followed Lynnette when she left last night!"

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Lynn, did you get sick last night?"

Lynnette looked guilty when she answered. "Yeah, I ate too much at dinner last night. It's okay though, I just have to remember that I can't make a pig out of myself again..."

"I only followed to see if she was ok," Inuyasha trailed off, not wanting to admit that he was worried about her. However, when everyone noticed his soft tone, he added in a gruff voice," Keh! I only wanted to make sure so we could travel with less problems. We are already behind schedule

Kagome smiled at Inuyasha before she whipped around to face her friend and grabbed her by the shoulders, searching her face. "You sure you're okay now? She asked, a touch of panic in her voice.

Miroku stepped up beside Inuyasha and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder in a friendly gesture. "You may not admit it, but you are a good friend," he said calmly.

"Keh! Don't think that I'm gonna do it all the time!" he added, trying to defend himself. "And monk, get your hand off my shoulder before I rip it off!" he yelled agitated.

Miroku let out a sigh as he did as told. He rolled his eyes and walked over to Sango. "Inuyasha sure is touchy today," he whispered to her.

Lynnette nodded, trying very hard to keep her heart in it's proper place. "Yes Kame, I'll be fine, the pills are working, I just have to watch what I'm doing so that my body can adjust." When Kagome pulled away she said. "Inuyasha, that wasn't called for."

He only glared back at her, not saying anything. "Whatever," he mumbled, stomping ahead of the group.

Sango sped up and walked up to Lynnette. "Lynnette-chan, what exactly did you two talk about?"

Lynnette smiled. "He caught me getting sick and yelled at me for hiding it. Then he helped me find a pill I needed before coming back."

Sango nodded in thought. "So it seems that he is trying to cover up the fact that he was worried about you..." she murmured.

"It seems like it." Miroku agreed. "Sango you are as intelligent as you are beautiful." He added, making the taijiya blush as she tried to glare at him.

Sango growled at him, still not over the groping he did on her that morning. "Don't even think about it Houshi-sama!" she yelled.

"Ah, well..." he sighed, falling back behind the girls.

"Remember what I said earlier Sango..." Lynnette said quietly with a smile.

She sighed heavily. "Gomen Lynnette. It's just too hard at times not to want to pound his head in!"

"I understand... I have had my fair share of man bashing." She couldn't keep the grin off her face.

Sango smirked dangerously with her. She threw a death glare back at Miroku, making the poor monk cringe.

Kirara mewed an agreement on her shoulder, making Sango nod her head. "I agree Kirara. Men can be bakas."

"Just remember, if it gets too bad, give him a taste of his own medicine and watch him run."

"I'll take that to heart. Thanks Lynnette-chan!" Sango said cheerfully, causing a laugh.

Kagome looked over her shoulder and winked at them. Lynnette smiled back, reaching over her shoulder to pet Kirara.

Shippou who took to Miroku's shoulder, grumbled under his breath. Getting worried about his younger friend's fury, Miroku looked at the kit. "Shippou, why the anger? Lynnette is a good soul."

"She smells and pokes her nose where it doesn't belong." Shippou replied.

"I don't honestly know how she must smell to you and Inuyasha, but her illness makes her that way. It's something that can't be helped. You also know that as long as she's here, Kagome will have to look after her more. She is after all, a sick woman and Kagome appears to care for her a lot. So it might be in your best interest to make amends," he suggested in his calm monotone.

"There's no way I'm getting close to her!" Shippou held his nose to make a point.

"You care about Kagome-sama don't you?" he asked, trying to make a point.

"Kagome doesn't need her! She's got us!"

"You don't seem to understand that she knew her longer than any of us. Even before she knew Inuyasha. It would be hard to break a bond a strong as theirs. And you wouldn't want to make Kagome choose between you two would you?"

"I just don't see why Kagome's even bothering, she's gonna die anyway."

Miroku heaved a sigh. He was beginning to loose his patience with the child. "Put it this way. Buddha prevent this from happening, but what you do if it was Kagome-sama with the illness? Would you give up so easily?"

"No... but then Kagome would be staying in her time."

"So you admit that you wouldn't give up on Kagome."

"No, I wouldn't, but none of us would be able to see Kagome either."

"Shippou, you know what Kagome-sama explained to me? She said that Lynnette wanted to come here to experience this world with her own two eyes before she died. She has already risked her steadily failing health to come here, and being the true friend that she is, Kagome-sama worked hard to bring her here. She even persuaded Inuyasha to help out. True Lynnette-sama is dying, but she was willing to risk her life to make sure that she could spend her last moments with Kagome."

Shippou's mouth fell open, nothing came out but a squeak.

Being up in the front, Inuyasha's ears didn't fail to hear the conversation between Shippou and Miroku. At first, he had wanted to beat Shippou to a pulp, but as he steadied his raging anger, he listened more as Miroku explained what Kagome told him about Lynnette. 'Is that really true?' he thought to himself. He was a sudden state of shock. The hanyou actually stopped in the middle of the path, listening to the conversation. This lapse raised questions from the ladies of the group. They couldn't hear the conversations between the kitsune and monk.

"Inuyasha, why did you stop?" Sango asked.

Kagome stopped at Lynnette's side, one hand already moving towards her bow. "Lynnette, stay by me." Lynnette for her part just looked politely confused.

Inuyasha wanted to smack his head against a tree for his stupidity. He let them notice that something was wrong. He suppressed a growl of annoyance at himself and turned, looking around for a plausible excuse as to why he stopped. Then he noticed Miroku and Shippou walking way behind the group. Making himself roll his eyes, he yelled back to them. "Hurry the hell up! It's not long until sundown!" He inwardly smirked at his fast lie.

Kagome visibly relaxed, smiling at Lynnette and kissing her forehead in reassurance. "It's okay, unlock Lynn." Lynnette sighed and shook herself.

Miroku and Shippou both didn't notice his stopping and, until he yelled at them, kept their conversation going. The monk rolled his eyes. "Don't think you're the only one that wants to kill Naraku as well!"

Wanting to make the argument believable, Inuyasha pushed farther. "Well, it seems that I'm the only one around here that does care!"

Sango sighed again. "Here we go..." she trailed off. Kirara mewed in annoyance.

Lynnette smiled, feeling her joints unlock. "Inuyasha, you are so lucky I can't get my legs underneath me, otherwise I'd beat you there!"

He turned and stared at her, making a light smirk. "Keh! One day we'd have to see about that wouldn't we?"

Kagome raised her eyebrow "Lynnette would kick your behind."

Having heard Kagome reply, Lynnette just threw back her head and laughed.

Inuyasha gave a snort as if saying 'as if'. "You wanna bet on that?" he asked, feeling cocky.

The frail girl grinned. "I might not be able to walk on these legs, but I do know where and how to kick with them!"

"Is that so?" Inuyasha asked, crossing his arms.

"Yes." Lynnette stretched her arms high. "In our time, men think that 'No' means 'Yes' and 'get lost' means 'Take me, I'm yours.'"

Inuyasha was taken aback by that. "What do you mean by 'taking someone'?" He was truly confused, having never heard that expression before.

Both Kagome and Lynnette looked at Shippou and shook their heads.

Miroku, having a perverted mind, was the first one to pick on the meaning. A sly smile crossed his face. "I think I know what this saying means..."

Sango rolled her eyes. "Let me guess, something inappropriate for children."

Being the slow hanyou that he was, Inuyasha still was in confusion.

Lynnette took pity on him as she sighed and motioned for him to come over to her.

He walked over towards her nervously, bending down to her level so she could tell him privately.

Kagome watched with amusement as Lynnette whispered what it meant, her friend trying to keep the blush from her face.

As she told him, a blush started to grow on his face as well. The people in Kagome's time seemed very open about these things! After she finished explaining it, he jumped away, his face burning. "What the hell?" was the only thing he could mutter in shock.

Miroku, seeing the reaction of his hanyou friend, only laughed.

Kagome laughed as the now blushing girl at her side. "Better you than me." She told Lynnette.

"And I thought the monk was the only one that perverted!" Inuyasha gasped, turning his head away from their stares and fits of laughter.

Miroku acted in mock hurt. "Inuyasha, your words wound me."

Lynnette just sighed "Inuyasha, there are men even worse than Miroku in our world."

"Keh! Save it monk!" came Inuyasha's shout as he tried to glare at Miroku, ignoring Lynnette's statement.

Kagome wrapped one arm around Lynnette's shoulders, winking at Lynnette playfully.

Sango seemed like the only mature looking one out of the bunch, well, her and Shippou. The kitsune only looked confused, not knowing what they were talking about. "Houshi-sama seems to enjoy this a little too much." She sighed.

"Don't worry about it Sango. A woman as talented as you can have anyone she wants." Lynnette smiled. "Why waste it on someone who doesn't appreciate you."

A light blush covered her face as she turned away. "W...who said that I cared about that monk!" She exclaimed, trying to deny any accusations.

Shippou only rolled his eyes at the group. Inuyasha was too busy arguing with the monk. Sango was blushing as she usually did and Kagome and Lynnette were talking about something that he was confused about. To say he was frustrated was an understatement.

"Who said I was talking about the monk?" She replied, trying to keep her mind off of where Kagome's arm was.

Inuyasha suddenly stopped his tirade on Miroku's perverted ways, to sniff the air slightly. "What the hell?" he mumbled to himself. He noticed that smell. It was Lynnette, but there was something different about it...

Miroku, noticing Inuyasha, silencing himself and asked, "Inuyasha what's wrong?"

Before the hanyou could answer, a small bundle of fur launched himself on his shoulder. He glared down at the young fox demon. "What is it now brat?"

"I think Lynnette's in heat." Shippou hissed softly, making sure Lynnette didn't hear.

Sniffing again, Inuyasha's eyes widened. He was right! It was the smell of her arousal. And what was worse, he knew it was caused by Kagome! He tried to suppress a growl from coming out.

Shippou wasn't surprised, and he hoped that Inuyasha wouldn't hurt Lynnette too much.

Kagome pulled away after dropping another sisterly kiss on her forehead. "Let's get going everyone."

Miroku noticed the look of rage in Inuyasha's eyes. "Inuyasha? Is something wrong?"

Trying to keep his calm and not wanting to make a scene, he covered himself up with a gruff answer. "Keh! I'm fine. Let's just go. We've been wasting time!"

Lynnette looked a little sad, but hid it with a smile. "Who's turn is it to push me?" She asked as Kagome picked Shippou up to carry him.

Inuyasha would've done it, if he wasn't trying to conceal his rage so much. Noticing that no one was jumping to the occasion, Sango volunteered," I'll do it! I think Kirara missed sitting on you anyways!" she laughed.

Lynnette's smile turned warm and bright as Kirara jumped into her lap. "Thank you Sango. I missed you too Kirara."

Sango smiled back. "It's nothing really! That's what friends do." Kirara purred in Lynnette's lap in contentment, as if adding to Sango's comment.

Lynnette gently petted Kirara. "Good kitty." She looked at Inuyasha, frowning quietly.

Shippou, on Miroku again, kept them behind the rest of group. The kitsune was glaring at the back of Lynnette's head, while Miroku was trying to calm the kit down. "Shippou, what's bothering you now? I noticed Inuyasha's anger when you told them something," he observed sagely.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha kept walking onward, trying to ignore the feelings of jealously building up in him. What he wouldn't give for Kouga to be here! Then he could've taken his anger out on him at the moment… 'Keh! Great, that's a low moment in my life. Wanting for the wimpy wolf to be here so I could just beat him into the ground...' he thought, shaking his head slightly.

Shippou shook his head. "Never mind, it's Inuyasha's problem."

"Oh?" Miroku asked, raising his eyebrow. "The look sort of reminded me of his usual expression when Kouga comes around..."

"He just smelled something he didn't like."

Concerned. Lynnette sought comfort in petting Kirara, she knew she did something, she just didn't know what.


	7. A heart to heart talking to

Author's note: Sorry for the long wait everybody. Things have been more than a little crazy on this end. Thanks to Turtlequeen2 for keeping me on track and reminding me to post.

* * *

A few hours passed by and the group remained silent, expect for the few comments during meals. The sun was now setting and they needed a place to rest. Miroku's eyes immediately lightened up at the site of a small village. "Perhaps we can take refuge in that village," he suggested, his eyes glimmering at the thought of the services there and who they would be from...

Sango gave a roll of her eyes as she continued to push Lynnette along. "Monk..." she growled out. "You're thinking about women aren't you?"

"Heheh...what gave you that idea Sango-sama?" Miroku asked nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

Shippou only shook his head at Miroku's stupidity. "Perverted Baka..." he muttered under his breath.

Lynnette tipped her head back to look at Sango. "Two can play at that game..."

"What do you mean, Lynnette-chan?" Sango asked naively, but in a low voice. "You're not actually suggesting..."

"You know exactly what I mean, act like you don't care about him." Lynnette whispered back

"Oh...I see what you mean..." she replied, a small smirk beginning to form.

The fragile redhead just gave a grin back that would scare any male with any sense in his brain.

Sango gave a small smile, thinking on how the monk would go nuts with her ignoring him.

Kagome had to swallow her laughter, she knew what that smile meant 'Teacher, thank you!' she thought

Miroku interrupted the group of ladies in their conversation. They all thought 'speak of the devil' at the same time, suppressing a sigh. The monk was oblivious to it however.

Lynnette just gave Miroku a sweet and innocent smile as she petted Kirara.

"Well shall I begin my work?" he smirked in delight, thinking up the usual lie he gave to the village leader. Something usually along the lines of: 'the most extravagant hut in the area had an ominous cloud hanging over it and unless he worked his holy powers, the family would be in mortal danger. The only payment was a night's stay at their place. It was only convenient for them, seeing that it was the right place at the right time.'

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Geez monk, do you ever learn?"

"If I recall, you never complain about the wealthy bounty they put before us," he pointed out.

Lynnette and Kagome just exchanged looks between themselves.

"Keh! I never stay in the damn place anyways. It's you weak humans that can't stand sleeping outdoors all the time," he retorted.

"Hey! I resent that statement! I'm a full-youkai and I don't mind sleeping indoors at times," Shippou added, butting into the conversation.

"Keh! Do whatever you want. It's not like I care," the hanyou huffed.

"I like sleeping outside." Lynnette said quietly. "I would like to get out of my chair tonight though..."

"Nothing's stopping ya. I'll just keep watch anyways..." Inuyasha muttered.

Miroku was already way ahead of them, making quick conversation with the villagers, trying to find the hut that would best suit their 'needs.' Well his requirements anyways...

Sango sighed. "You don't need to tell him twice."

"Never mind him Sango." Lynnette said firmly. "You can do better than him."

Kagome mentally nodded in full agreement, keeping an eye on him.

Kirara nodded her head against Lynnette's hand as if to show her agreement.

Sango laughed at Kirara's cuteness. "You know, all of you are right," she said. "I can do much better than him."

"You're a good sweet kitty." Lynnette cooed softly as she giggled.

Kirara mewed, her eyes glittering with happiness as if concurring with Lynnette's comments.

Lynnette stroked Kirara gently, making sure to scratch all the good spots.

A few minutes later, Miroku called them over to another 'nicely acquired place to rest.' In other words, it was an over elaborate hut where the village lord stayed.

"Thank you kindly monk for your services to my village," the old man said with a smile.

"It's only in a monk's duty," Miroku replied back in a grin.

"Keh! Baka bouzu," Inuyasha muttered under his breath, crossing his arms in annoyance at the monk's actions.

Meanwhile still outside, Kagome had rolled Lynnette a little ways away from the others and helped her stand a little.

Inuyasha couldn't help the look his face got when he witnessed the pain cross Lynnette's face as she tried to stand. 'What are they doing?' he thought to himself.

Kagome was holding onto Lynnette's waist while Lynnette's hands gripped Kagome's shoulders. Lynnette's steps were slow and painful. Soft popping sounds could be head over Kagome's encouraging voice.

Kagome looked calm and encouraging, while Lynnette's face held a painful concentration.

Shippou's face softened as he watched the redhead struggle.

Inuyasha watched Lynnette's pain and felt bad for her. The hanyou would've helped but he'd have no idea what he'd be doing. He glanced over at Shippou and looked at his guilty expression.

"What's with you runt? I thought you hated her?" he whispered to him.

"I was just staring as her ugly popping legs." Shippou said.

"Like hell you were," he snorted. "I saw your face."

"And it wasn't exactly one of hatred or disgust."

"It was pity, nothing less." the young kitsune growled.

"You just keep telling yourself that," he replied, rolling his eyes. He walked just inside the hut before the kitsune could respond.

Miroku, who was back from swindling the lord, witnessed the exchange between the two youkai. "Sango, did you notice that?"

Sango, who was standing beside him, nodded in agreement. Despite trying to ignore him, this was more serious than his lecherous ways. "Yea, Shippou-chan really looked sorry for Lynnette-chan a minute ago."

Miroku replied," I agree. Perhaps he is taking my advice to heart..."

"What did you tell him?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"I only mentioned that he should give Lynnette-sama a chance," he replied calmly.

A sharp snapping sound outside echoed clearly across the clearing. Inuyasha, who was now standing guard, saw Lynnette's face as it went white with pain. Shippou jumped and ran out of the hut.

Kagome gripped her tight, trying to keep balance for both of them. "Lynn!"

"Are you alright?" Inuyasha asked before he could stop himself.

"My knee cracked... Nothing serious." Lynnette said tightly as Kagome helped her limp back to her chair.

Miroku and Sango walked out together, following Shippou's actions. They saw Inuyasha with concern in his eyes despite his otherwise gruff expression. Even Shippou looked worried, if a little bit.

Kagome was very gentle as she gently tried to flex Lynnette's knee. "I think it's swollen, but not broken."

Lynnette nodded. "Thanks Kame."

"You need anything?" Sango asked her kindly. "We were worried. Never seeing you try to walk and all," she explained.

"I was just trying to stretch my legs out, I shouldn't have tried to walk yet though." Lynnette said with a weak smile.

"Oh." Sango could only say and nodded. "Perhaps, but you are a strong woman nevertheless, brave enough to try walking when you can barely stand."

Kirara, back in Lynnette's lap, purred contently to try and comfort the woman.

Lynnette petted Kirara. "I'm okay kitty." Kagome stood and brushed off her pants. "Do NOT move that leg Lynn. Tonight you are sleeping inside!" She told her friend sternly.

Inuyasha raised his eyebrow, surprised at Kagome's outburst.

From her chair, Lynnette bowed her head and answered in her meekest voice. "Yes Kagome."

'What the hell?' was the only thing Inuyasha could think in his mind. 'So...the only person she's scared of is Kagome?' he asked himself. 'And I thought I was the only one scared...' He mentally cringed, remembering her many outbursts and 'sits' she had given him.

Kagome gently kissed Lynnette's forehead again and went inside.

Noticing the odd silence that fell over the group, Sango got up. "Well perhaps I'll take a look around the village."

Miroku followed after her. "Do you mind if I accompany you?"

"Uh...n...no," Sango stuttered out nervously. Then she turned and glared at him. "Don't you dare get any perverted thoughts," she warned.

"Be at ease Sango," Miroku assured her, letting out a nervous laugh as the taijiya put the hand to her Hiraikotsu as a threat.

Grinning, Lynnette nodded slightly and winked at Sango.

Sango smiled back at Lynnette before walking off, her head held high. Miroku looked slightly confused but followed nevertheless.

Lynnette ran her hand though her hair, watching as Kirara jumped down and followed Sango, stepping on her injured knee in the process. She ground her teeth and waited for the pain to pass.

Inuyasha, knowing that they were alone, shifted nervously. He heard her hiss of pain and immediately shot his worried glance towards her. "You alright? Kirara probably didn't mean it," he said in a gruff voice.

"Yeah. I know she didn't." Lynnette smiled. "I love that cat." Inside however, Lynnette was pissed that she had let her pain weaken her control. Blinking, she pushed that thought aside and turned her head to look at the annoyed hanyou. "Did you want to speak to me?"

"As a matter of fact, yea I do need to talk to you," he admitted.

"Okay." She made a move as though to roll herself. "Lead the way."

The hanyou smirked a little as he gripped onto the sides of the wheelchair. He heard her gasp in surprise as he easily lifted it and carried her in it, up the temple steps. "You said to lead the way," he replied innocently.

"Next time I'll choose my words more carefully..." He heard her mutter

Inuyasha let out a small chuckle. "Maybe you should," came his response, setting her down once they were inside.

Lynnette sighed in relief when her wheels touched the ground again. "Thanks."

"Keh! It was nothing," he shrugged nonchalantly.

Lynnette looked surprised for a second, then beamed at him.

Realizing what he did, he looked away in slight embarrassment. "What? It wasn't that big of a deal. It's not like I never said it before..."

"I know, but it's still nice." Lynette replied with a smile.

"Keh! Youkai aren't supposed to be 'nice,' he scoffed. Deciding to change the subject fast, he continued. "So what was with you earlier? You let Kagome walk all over you."

"I scared her. If feeling protective makes her feel better, than I don't mind." Lynnette answered honestly. "Frankly, it scared me too." She admitted.

"Trust me, I understand..." he sighed, remembering all of the many fights they had and 'sits' he received. He had to suppress his cringe.

"Do you? You are healthy, your body does what you want it too. Kagome can look at you and see..." Lynnette was speaking quietly, almost to herself.

Inuyasha's eyebrow raised in confusion yet again. How many time has she done this to him? He was beginning to loose count...

"When Kagome yells at you, it's because you did something wrong. When she is scared, there is a good chance that you'll make amends. When she yells at me, there is pure panic in her voice. She knows that if I get hurt, I won't heal."

Inuyasha was speechless. He couldn't find much to say to that. Not very surprising for Lynnette to be the cause of it.

"Kagome can yell at you, and be scared for you. If Kagome yells at me, she is scared of me." Lynnette said softly.

He sighed at her tone of voice. He knew that tone very well. That because he used it before when talking about himself. "Kagome isn't that way," he said, trying to comfort her. "Hell if she was, she couldn't even be able to take a glance at me before running away in fear. If she fears anything, it's probably fearing your death."

"I know. That's why I try so hard to hide..." Her voice trailed off, remembering last night. Then she looked away, letting the silence fill the space.


	8. shocks and scars

Author's note: Thanks to turtlequeen2 for all of her hard work. I couldn't have done this without you!

Inuyasha glanced away from her and murmured," ...the fact that you're dying..." under his breath.

Lynnette nodded and kept her face expressionless. There really wasn't much to say on this topic. Why hash over something so pointless?

Later that night, Lynnette stared at the ceiling in grave thought with Kagome lying nearby. Closing her eyes, she took deep even breaths, trying to concentrate as she focused on the exercises that she had learned years ago. Mediation had now become a sleep substitute, a way to deal with the pain when nothing else worked.

Inuyasha had trouble sleeping that night. That conversation between him and Lynnette replayed itself repeatedly in his head. He cast a look over at the woman in question and was surprised to see her in deep meditation.

Ignoring the pain in her belly, Lynnette forced herself to ignore the feeling that she was being watched.

'What is she thinking about?' he thought in his mind, confusion forming on his face.

She opened one eye and smiled slightly at the confused hanyou, letting him know that everything was okay.

Inuyasha huffed at being caught staring at her and crossed his arms. He looked away with a slight blush on his face.

Still smiling, Lynnette just shook her head and continued to wait until the pills did their work. When she felt the pain ease and her mind clear, she rolled over on her side and fell asleep.

'What the hell is wrong with me?' he thought to himself. He cast another look at her and then Kagome. '...maybe it has something to do with it being close to the New Moon.' With that last thought, Inuyasha allowed himself to finally fall asleep.

As the Inuyasha-Tachi laid sleeping, a pair of red eyes emerged from the bushes of the side of the hut. The creature flew off into the darkness of the night, eager to deliver its message to its master.

After a few hours, the insect caught sight of a dark castle. It flew through an open window and buzzed a greeting to its creator.

"Saimyoushou?" A calm and calculating voice called out. The darkness hid the man's frame, only allowing the gleam of his crimson eyes and his smirk to be seen, courtesy of the moonlight. His reached his hand out of the darkness to allow the hell insect to perch on his wrist.

The Saimyoushou buzzed nervously in answer, waiting for instructions.

"So the strong energy I felt is coming from a woman..." he trailed off in thought. "...with the Inuyasha-Tachi no less."

_She appears to be very ill, but her will is very strong master._ The insect buzzed.

The man known as Naraku gave a small sneer in delight. "I see..." he trailed off.

_She dresses strange as well, like the foreign miko._

Though it could not be seen, his eyebrow arched in curiosity. "So they must be from the same land..."

_She is more foreign than the miko Master. Her hair is a red as a forest fire at sunset._

"Red? What an odd color. Is she human?" he asked.

_Yes Master._

"Hmm... an interesting lass I see," he commented darkly. "...let us test her _will_ then," he finished in a chuckle.

"Kanna," he suddenly beckoned. Suddenly the albino detachment appeared before him, holding no emotion on her face and clutching her kagami to her chest.

"Yes Master?" She said tonelessly.

He cast a glance at his Saimyoushou. "Does this woman have a name?" he asked.

_The name she goes by is_ _Lynnette_ the insect buzzed. _I haven't heard a Japanese name yet_.

Lynnette was sleeping soundly, her hair a mass of fiery red curls surrounding a finely boned face. Even her eyebrows and long eyelashes were red.

A small smirk found its way to his face as he stared upon her. 'An interesting looking lass she is,' he mentally commented.

As look of contained outrage crossed her face, her blue-gray eyes suddenly flew open. Those eyes- even in her fury- could clearly see into another's soul. For a moment, she seemed to be looking directly at Naraku before she turned her head to smack the sleeping monk's roaming hands with her own delicate ones as full pink lips pressed tightly together.

Surprised, Naraku almost faltered in his usual stoic expression when her eyes seemed to lock onto his.

Though Lynnette never sat up, she did aim a well-deserved kick in the monk's direction. Blue flames of anger seemed to glow in her eyes before she rolled over onto her back and started breathing deeply again, only then did Naraku actually see the silver aura that surrounded her.

"She is truly powerful," he mused to himself.

_She is truly a woman of fire. _The insect dared to comment.

He only gave a slight nod in agreement at his "pet."

_What would you like to do? She is dying very quickly_

"Dying?" he echoed. He looked closer and then realized that the insect was right. Though her aura was strong, it was diminishing.

The hell insect buzzed quietly as it waited.

"Kanna, that will be all for tonight," Naraku called. "You are free to do as you wish."

For an answer, Kanna disappeared in silence.

"As for this woman, I want you to keep an eye on her," he explained to the Saimyoushou. "I have some plans in store for her..." he trailed off in a small smirk.

The Saimyoushou buzzed once and flew off into the night.

"Oh yes," he repeated to himself. "I have many plans in store for this Lynnette..." he finished before letting out another dark laugh.

The next day, Kagome and Lynnette were both furious with Miroku's sleep groping, and neither of them had spoken to the monk all morning.

Sango noticed how Lynnette and Kagome glared at Miroku. She also knew that something must have happened last night based on the sounds of a violent kick. Therefore, she knew not to speak to the monk as well.

Kirara was purring in content in Lynnette's lap, which seemed to relax the redhead.

Miroku noticed the cold stares he got from the three women across from him. Seeing that Inuyasha was sitting beside him, he leaned over and whispered, "Is it just me or are the stares of those women towards me seem colder than winter chills?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and gave a snort. "You must have done something stupid and lecherous for them to be pissed at you," he grumbled out irritably. He didn't even bother to lower his voice as he responded to the houshi.

"Yes he did." Lynnette said quite coldly to the hanyou.

"I knew it," Inuyasha said in sarcasm.

The monk noticeably winced at her tone of voice.

"Having my behind fondled is not a good way to wake me up Miroku." The angry redhead snapped.

Sango, now knowing that what she suspected was true, intensified her glare. "Houshi-sama..." she said in a near growl. "Have you no decency?"

"He was still asleep, but his hands were not." Lynnette added.

Miroku held up his hands in defense. "Please forgive me Lynette-sama, but sometimes I believe my hands are cursed," he said, trying to feign innocence.

Yeah right... then why is this the first time this has ever happened?" Shippou said to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha only glared irritably at Miroku and Shippou before replying. "Who knows? The bouzu is always doing something stupid. I'd say he's more cursed with lechery than his wandering hands..."

Lynnette turned her face away. "You are not to speak to any female all day unless we come under attack, and you will sleep on the other side of the fire until you or your hands learn self-control." She said in that same frosty voice.

On any other day, Inuyasha would've also winced at her voice, but considering how irritable he was, he didn't give much of a damn on what happened to the monk.

"Are we going or not? We're wasting time," Inuyasha said, beginning to rise out of his sitting position.

"Yes Inuyasha." Lynnette said in a more normal tone as she helped Kagome clean up.

Inuyasha held the sheathed Tessaiga in his hand and began to put it back into his sash.

The kitsune noticed Inuyasha's unusual grumpy behavior and decided to see what was bothering him. He hopped onto the hanyou's shoulder and mentally winced as he heard Inuyasha's growl.

"What the hell do you want runt?" Inuyasha demanded.

Shippou scowled back, trying to make himself look brave. "What's with you Inuyasha? You've been more irritated than usual lately," the kitsune spat out.

"I ain't irritated!" the hanyou bellowed, pushing the kitsune off of his shoulder and onto the floor harshly. This action alone disproved his declaration.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome and Lynnette warned in unison.

Inuyasha only glared back at them and turned to walk off. "Keh!" he only replied.

Sango looked after the hanyou with her eyebrow raised. She walked over towards Kagome, "Kagome-chan," she whispered.

"What Sango-chan?"

"Don't you agree with Shippou? Inuyasha does seem a little irritable..." she trailed off.

"Do you think it's close to that time?" she asked.

Kagome bit off a curse. "You're right..."

Miroku walked up nearer to the women talking. He cast a nervous look at Lynnette to see if she was listening, and was relieved when he found her not paying attention. He decided to carefully add in his own thoughts. "I think it is indeed towards the New Moon. I noticed the moon growing smaller over the nights. Not the mention, he'd find himself more afraid of you all on a usual basis," he stated calmly.

Sango couldn't help but agree with Miroku so matter how mad she was with him.

Kagome chewed her lip before reluctantly nodding agreement.

However the taijiya threw a cautious glare at the monk. "Are you sure that you're not just saying that because he's not taking up your side of agreement?"

Miroku heaved a sigh. "I assure you, Sango-sama, that was not what I meant at all. I was just merely stating facts..."

"I should ask her to kick you again..." Kagome muttered.

The monk almost cringed again, remembering the pain he felt earlier that morning.

Sango and Shippou could only roll their eyes at the houshi's stupidity.

Kagome walked away from the group to take her turn in pushing Lynnette, while Shippou had jumped on Kagome's shoulder, not trusting Inuyasha's temper. Even though Kagome was concerned about Inuyasha, but she knew better than to try to talk to him until later.

Miroku and Sango walked beside each other in silence while the young kitsune fidgeted as he sat on Kagome's shoulder. Shippou almost hoped that there would be a demon attack, anything to break this tension.

The hanyou stopped suddenly in the middle of the path and let out a small growl. His hand instinctively reached for the hilt of Tessaiga as he picked up the familiar scent of youkai. "Keh! It seems like we have company..." He growled out, his lips forming into a small smirk. He found himself looking forward to the fight to relieve his pent up frustration. Not to mention that if these were weaker youkai, he'd have no problem taking them out.

"I sense a shard, maybe two!" Kagome added, her eyes dark with anger as she put an arrow in her bow and stepped protectively in front of Lynnette.

"This just made the day all the more better," Inuyasha smirked, pulling out the transformed Tessaiga in an instant.

Kirara gave a small growl and jumped off Lynnette's lap, landing beside Inuyasha in the front line.

"Kirara! Come back here, you'll get hurt..." Lynnette's alarmed shout trailed off uncertainly when the neko-youkai allowed the fire to engulf her smaller form and let out a roar as she transformed into her larger, saber-toothed form.

Lynnette, realizing that her hand was still outstretched, pulled it back. "Big growth spurt..." She numbly said in shock.

By that time, Sango had already changed into her slayer outfit and let out a small laugh at Lynnette's shock. "Gomen, Lynnette-chan. I guess I forgot to tell you this about Kirara," she explained.

"You mentioned something... but she's so BIG..."

"Well, she can carry up to all of us on her back at a time when needed," she added. "She's very powerful when need be."

"Wow, I hope she doesn't decide to give me a bath..."

Inuyasha gave a snort in annoyance as he rolled his eyes. "Are you guys done wasting time? I don't know if you've noticed, but the youkai is getting closer..." he nearly shouted in irritation.

Before either woman could give a response, the ground began to shake terribly.

Lynnette rolled backwards, trying to stay balanced and out of the way at the same time.

Miroku ran up to stand beside Sango and Kirara. "Seems more like an Oni than a youkai," he commented, trying hard to retain his balance.

"Keh! Does it matter? As long as it has a jewel shard, it's gonna die anyways!" Inuyasha declared haughtily.

"Are you sure it's not an earthquake?" Lynnette growled, trying to stay upright.

Suddenly, from around the corner, came a giant purple Oni, growling. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the weakling before him. "Should've known..." He grumbled. He then turned his attention to Kagome and asked, "Where's the shard Kagome?"

"In his throat!" Kagome shouted back.

The Oni gave a stomp into the ground, sending back waves of the path towards them.

Lynnette gave a cry as her chair tipped over, snapping the seatbelt and sending her flying.

"Lynnette!" Kagome shouted feeling her heart in her mouth.

Kirara gave a small growl in concern as she seen Lynnette sent flying into the air. Using her fast speed, she flew into the air and swooped to catch the woman before she could hit the ground.

"Thanks kitty." she said in a shaking voice.

Kirara carried Lynnette over to the sidelines, a safe distance from the battle, and dropped her carefully.

Kagome felt relief and shot an arrow at the Oni in anger.

The redhead managed a shaky smile. "Get it Kitty!"

Kirara didn't need to get told twice, for she already swooped down to pick up Sango before charging at the ogre in rage. The taijiya easily sensed the anger from the neko considering their good bond. "Let's go Kirara!" she shouted in concentration as she held her weapon high.

Kagome had to jump out of the Oni's way. "This thing can move!" She shouted when Oni swung again, tripping Kagome. "Inuyasha!"

"Kagome!" he shouted in a near panic as the Oni made another hit towards the miko. He charged towards the arm and made Tessaiga hit it, but unfortunately and to his horror, the sword returned to its blunt form and only managed to scratch the giant arm.

"Dammit!" he cursed and quickly relied on his claws to finish the job of distracting the ogre. "SANKON TESSOU!" he shouted, allowing his claws to rip the arm clear off of ogre's shoulder, making it shout in pain as it stumbled mindlessly backwards.

He picked up Kagome and moved her to the side. He made quick haste to set her on her feet again, before sheathing Tessaiga. "Are you alright Kagome?" he asked in slight worry.

Kagome staggered backwards, fear hammering in her throat. "Did Naraku send it?"

He turned back to glare at the creature. "I'm not sure..." He admitted. His sense of smell was beginning to directorate. 'Damn it all!' he mentally cursed. "But it must be considering that weak youkai like that usually don't find jewel shards lying around."

"Thanks. Are you okay Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

"Yea, yea, I'm fine," he lied, preparing to jump back into battle.

"We have to get those shards and get out of here." Kagome said, drawing another arrow. "It's getting close to nightfall!"

He gave a grave nod and cracked his knuckles. "I don't need Tessaiga to take down this lame excuse for a fight!" he yelled, charging up to the Oni and slashing the creature against its chest. It let out a hiss of pain as blood began to spurt out of the wound.

Miroku and Sango were now both on Kirara, circling the demon and attacking. "HIRAIKOTSU!" Sango shouted, throwing her boomerang bone once again with much precision.

She succeeded in hacking through the neck, cutting the head off. With the shards falling out of the demon's neck, the creature fell over dead.

The demon slayer easily reached out and caught her weapon as it flew back towards the trio.

Kagome walked over to the fallen demon and started to pick up the jewel shards.

"How many shards are there Kagome?" Inuyasha asked as he walked up beside her.

"Two." She replied

He gave a small nod and waited until Kirara landed behind, the taijiya and monk getting off the neko. "Why the hell would Naraku send such a weak Oni after us?" he asked.

"Was it even after us...?" Kagome asked, her eyes suddenly widening in fear.

Miroku looked over the corpse in thought. "As much as I hate to say this, I have to concur with Inuyasha on this," he thought aloud.

"What do you mean Houshi-sama?" Sango asked.

"Think about it. Naraku is the one who owns most of the jewel shards currently. We all know that if Naraku ever came upon a weak Oni such as this, he would've easily taken the shards into his grasp. The only possibility is that he gave it to the Oni himself," he replied.

"But for what purpose?" he mused quietly to himself.

"Um... People?" Lynnette called. "I hate to interrupt but..."

Kirara transformed back into her small form, the flames surrounding her, allowing her body to shrink in size. She gave a small mew and jumped onto Lynnette, glad to see her okay.

Smiling, she gently calmed the excited fire cat. "I'm okay Kirara, thanks for catching me." Looking at Kagome, her voice took on a more worried note. "The seatbelt broke."

Kagome swore aloud, looking angry.

Inuyasha raised his eyebrow, having never before heard her curse before while still in this era. The others in the group also looked upon her with a note of incredulity.

"I'm sorry Lynn. That was my fault. I should have checked your chair before I sent it though." Kagome said as she stood before stiffly walking over to the fallen chair and righting it again before Lynnette could answer.

"Is it broke?" Inuyasha asked gruffly, trying to cover up his concern.

"The chair isn't, but the strap of her seatbelt is." Kagome said tightly.

"Is that a bad thing?" he hesitantly asked.

"The seatbelt is what keeps Lynnette in her chair; it keeps her from falling out of her chair while she's moving." The young miko explained as she carefully examined the rest of Lynnette's wheelchair.

Sango looked at the two women in concern. "Does that mean that you'll have to go back to your time to get a replacement?" she asked.

"I can fix it for now, but yes. I'll have to go back to get another soon." Kagome answered.

Inuyasha suppressed an annoyed growl from coming out of him as he heard that. They got here only a few days ago!

"I can always ride on Kirara, if she'll let me." Lynnette suggested quietly, still trying to calm the over excited fire neko.

Kirara let out a mew and looked up at her as if she was surprised.

Sango noticed this and let out a small laugh. "I think Kirara is shocked that you doubt her minding to carry you," she explained.

The young redhead chuckled. "My balance is not very good kitty, I can barely ride a horse and I don't want to hurt you."

"It'll take a lot to take down Kirara," the taijiya smiled.

"Still, I would hate to pull out her fur." She said, stroking the cat demon who now was laying on her stomach, ignoring the pain.

"Keh! We should get going," Inuyasha snorted out, beginning to loose patience. "I doubt you humans want to be stuck out in the outdoors tonight," he added.

Lynnette frowned "What's wrong Inuyasha?"

"Nothing," he denied, not bothering to turn back to look at her.

"Sango, can you help me up?" Lynnette asked.

"Sure thing, Lynnette-chan," the taijiya said as she kindly kneeled over and helped the other woman stand.

Lynnette felt her legs shake, and her knee popped a second time, making Kagome jump two feet. "Thank you Sango."

Kirara let out a small mew in surprise at hearing the popping of Lynnette's knee. The little neko followed beside her female companions as Sango let the other woman to her wheelchair. The taijiya helped Lynnette get back into her wheelchair before looking back to the others.

"It's okay kitty, its okay." She soothed her upset feline friend before looking to Sango "Thank you very much Sango."  
"You're welcome," Sango smiled. She looked over at the hanyou and let out a small sigh as she saw him shift in impatience.

Lynnette wouldn't look at Inuyasha, so she busied herself with Kagome's fussing.  
Miroku nearly rolled his eyes at the hanyou. Shippou, now on his shoulder, did exactly what the monk was trying to suppress.

When both Kagome and Lynnette were both satisfied with the fix, Kagome looked up. "Whose turn is it?" She asked.

The monk was about to open his mouth to offer, but glares from the all the other women told him otherwise.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and decided to do it since no one else was bothering to step up quick enough. "I'll do it," he stated, suppressing the growl that was threatening to work its way into his throat at their slow paces.

Lynnette gave a bland smile. "Thank you very much."

He gave a small nod before getting behind her chair and gripping the handlebars. He began to push her forward once again at the regular walking pace of an average human so as not to make her fall out.

Kagome walked near them, with Shippou on her shoulder.

Smiling, Lynnette closed her eyes, content with her world for the moment.

It was getting near sunset when, cursory of Miroku's ominous cloud tricks, the whole group now had a roof over their heads that night.

Feeling the deep pain in her belly, Lynnette quietly excused herself and went to get some water.

Kagome had waited until Lynnette had slipped away before turning to Inuyasha. "I really wish that you would tell us when you are going to turn human Inuyasha."

"Keh! It's not my fault that you all managed to forget," he said, defending himself. "Besides, its not like I'm gonna tell you out in the open..."

"Inuyasha, if I may," Miroku interrupted. "It has been hectic with another addiction to our group. It would have been wiser to warn Kagome-sama. I wouldn't blame her if she had forgotten with her having to fret over Lynnette-sama's health."

"Oh no... I forgot..." Kagome's hands flew to her mouth as her chocolate eyes widened in sudden horror.

"What is it Kagome?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Lynnette doesn't know about you."

"Well, she'll find out soon enough," he grumbled, now knowing that his canine sense of smell and hearing completely dissipated.

Ten minutes later Lynnette still hadn't come back.

Kagome started to fidget, and kept drumming her fingers on her leg. "Where is she?"

Inuyasha heaved a sigh as he stood up. "I'll go look for her," he stated.

Kagome's eyes glowed with thanks and her genuine gratitude. "Thanks."

He gave a brief nod and ran into the darkness. The hanyou then mentally cursed himself for his rashness when he realized that his eyesight was beginning to take its toll.

Lynnette had been taking her pills, when she had started to choke on one.

Inuyasha knew that he wasn't far away when he heard Lynnette's muffled coughs. Though he now had human-like hearing, he was still able to hear her.

He ran up to her to see her choking. "Lynnette?" he asked in slight worry.

She continued to choke and sputter, trying to pat herself on the back as tears streamed down her face.

Inuyasha ran up behind her and tried to help her by thumping her in between the shoulders with his palm. He made sure that the hit wasn't too hard as not to hurt her back.

Lynnette wheezed and she coughed as much-needed air filled her lungs. "W-water..." She gasped.

The panicked hanyou noticed an empty water bottle sitting next to her and immediately made a grab for it and began to fill it with water from the stream. When it was full, he handed it to her with quick haste.

She gulped down half the bottle in a few deep swallows. "Whew... Lady Death almost won that time..." She said in a more normal tone of voice after wiping away the last of the tears.

"Do you always have this many near death experiences in one day?" Inuyasha snorted out before he could stop himself. He more than likely said this to cover up the fact that he was worried about her.

"I don't court death, but it seems to be hell bent on courting me..." Lynnette replied, trying to smile.

"Heh," he only replied in a small smirk.

"I still have two more to take..." She murmured, finally releasing the pill bottle she had been holding in a death grip.

"Then, I'm staying. If I leave you might actually die this time around..." he replied, sitting down crossed-legged beside her, Tessaiga in hand.

"Thanks." She whispered, putting the bottle back and taking out another.

The hanyou suddenly stiffened up as the sun completely disappeared behind the hills beyond them. "Kuso..." he muttered under his breath.

Lynnette wasn't paying any attention to him as she shook out another pill. Putting it in her mouth, she raised the water bottle to her lips and gulped hard.

He hoped the transformation would prolong itself until at least after she took her pills.

She took her last pill without a problem before handing him her water bottle again for a refill.

Inuyasha quickly refilled the bottle and handed it back to her.

The girl had now completely regained her composure at this point. "Thanks again."

He gave her a nod. "Listen, Lynnette, I have to tell you something about me..." he began

Lynnette cocked her head. "All right. I'm listening."

"...There comes a time once a month where hanyous such as myself loose their demonic powers..." He trailed off. Before he could finish, he pulsed again, signaling that the transformation was beginning. "...Well I guess you'll have to see for yourself instead of me having to explain it to you…" Inuyasha managed to get out before his body started to pulse again.

Lynnette's eyes were dark in confusion. "What...?"

His silver hair began to flow out behind him as if an invisible wind passed through the area. His claws began to retract into regular human nails. His silver hair began to have black streaks leak through it, turning it completely black. His dog-ears on the top of his head shriveled down his head into normal human ears. Lastly, his eyes flashed before turning into a deep violet color.

Once his fangs reduced into regular human canines, he gave her a bitter  
smirk. "This is my night of losing my powers..." he finally stated. "The New  
Moon."

"Great. Merciful. Goddess. First Kirara, now you! What's next, Miroku in a dress maybe?"

He huffed and rolled his eyes. "Keh! It's only one night per month. I can't do it by will. That's the disadvantage," he explained.

Lynnette nodded. "I can see how you could think of it that way."

Inuyasha turned his head away from her. "I hate this night because it's the night when I'm most vulnerable. Every time I'm in this state, nearly everyone in the group ends up nearly dead... not to mention that if our enemies found out, they'd be after us in a heartbeat..." he finished.

"Now I know why you were so touchy earlier."

He shot a quick glare at her at that remark. "Keh!" he only replied.

"I'll try to be more careful next time."

Although he wouldn't admit it, he hated his human side more because he had no control over his emotions. He knew that was when he began to say more than he meant to let out to certain people.

Her next words sounded almost like she was reading his mind. "There are times when I wish I couldn't feel too Inuyasha."

He shot her a confused look. "What do you mean?" he could only ask.

"That there are times I wish I didn't have any emotions. No fear, no hate, no... longings..."

He agreed with her words and could sympathize with her. "To show that you bear no weakness..." He added.

Lynnette nodded. "No more nightmares and regrets."

Inuyasha was surprised that someone besides Kikyou and Kagome could understand him so well. Then a small smirk came to his face. Of course, she was Kagome's teacher after all...

"Everyone has secrets and shadows Inuyasha. Everyone has something they wish to hide... even me..."

"But you already told me about that didn't you?" Inuyasha asked, slightly puzzled again.

"I told you one; I just didn't tell you all of it."

He raised his eyebrow. "You mean there's more?"

"Yes." The word itself was a toneless void.

"What more could you hide besides the fact that you're dying?" He couldn't help but ask with a note of incredulity.

With a sigh, Lynnette put down her bottle and lifted her shirt so that he could clearly see her back. From the base of her neck to the waistline, her skin was a lacy network of fine white scars.

His eyes widened slightly. "...Where did these come from?"

Her answer was two simple words. "My father."

"Why the hell would your own father do that?" he demanded.

"He believed that a proper lady should be submissive and silent."

He gave a small snort. "Sounds like my brother. He believes hanyous to be bugs under his feet. He nearly killed me numerous times and the only thing I have over him is Tessaiga," he said.

"If my father would have had his way my husband would have been even worse than my father, but father told me that no decent man would ever marry a crippled bitch." Lynnette shrugged. "I believed him."

"How the hell would you believe something like that?" he demanded, wishing that he could some up with a decent growl in his human form.

"Because it was what he always told me even when I was a little girl. I didn't know anything else."

Oh..." he trailed off, his anger abating a bit. "Reminds me of when I was known around the villages as a monstrous hanyou..." he smirked bitterly. "I grew up being told that I was a monster."

"But you knew differently, as I did." The redhead pointed out.

"I guess so," he replied.

The hanyou decided that Kagome was worried sick by now and getting ready to look for them herself, so he began to rise into a standing position. "We better get going before Kagome yells at us both," he explained in a small laugh.

"Good idea, I'm actually hungry for once."

"Shall we?" he smirked as he got behind her and grabbed onto the handlebars.

"Yes let us go eat! Shippou has probably eaten all the food by now."

He let out the best growl he could suffice. He then sighed as he began to push the wheelchair forward.

Lynnette laughed, as together; they headed back towards the lights.


	9. Plans, Encounters, and warnings

Author's note: Sorry for the long wait, but I finally cornered my partner long enough for us to finish this chapter... Thank you for your enduring support and a special thanks to turtlequeen2 for all of her help and putting up with my proddings!

* * *

Deep in the miasma filled air, stood Naraku's castle. Well...the current one he was staying at, at least... Within the confines of the evil hanyou's study, crimson eyes narrowed in irritation.

"The Oni has failed, Master." Kanna said blankly, her face expressionless as she allowed the image in the mirror to fade.

Naraku shot a slight glare at his creation. As if he didn't know that already. Instead of stating that, he replied in a calm tone: "Kanna. I have no more use of your services for now. You may go."

The white haired child demon calmly turned and walked away, the dark miasma swallowing her up into darkness.

After the door to his study slid shut, his crimson eyes began to burn with a more aggressive intensity. '_This is getting troublesome..._' he mentally growled. '_With that failed plan, I have also lost two precious jewel shards to the Inuyasha-Tachi..._' Naraku's face turned into that of a scowl. '_Not to mention that I have failed to make that woman, Lynnette, lose her will..._' he continued to himself. _'Though she has a weak body, and is not capable of battle, she has a strong inner strength. Ever since she joined with the group, they seem more focused on destroying me..._' he added, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

"Perhaps I should send a puppet out to acquaint myself with her more..." he trailed off in a sinister smirk.

He reached out for a wooden golem and wove a piece of hair around it. As he finished his puppet, his red eyes glimmered with amusement. He had a feeling he would enjoy her reaction. '_This will prove entertaining..._' he trailed off, his evil sneer still in place.

All through the dimly lit corridors of the castle, his dark laughter sounded.

Inuyasha opened his amber gold eyes to find to his relief that he was once again back to his normal hanyou self. His hand was still grasped around the sheathed Tessaiga that he kept leaning against him. The hanyou was still reclined against the wall of the inn the group was staying in, not in a hurry to move. He looked around at the rest of the group, whom were all sleeping in despite the already risen sun shining through the paper-sliding doors and heaved a sigh. '_Keh! Weak humans always have to sleep so damn much!_' he thought to himself.

He then cast a look towards Lynnette. She was sleeping near the other girls, though far away from Miroku. He scowled in spite himself, remembering their conversation from last night.

'_Damn those human nights! I actually showed more kindness than I meant for her to see!_' he cursed in his head. Then his expression softened in the slightest bit. '_But... it was nice to finally talk to someone who went through the same type of things I did..._' he added.

The monk began to stir, squinting his eyes as he opened them. He quietly began to rise into a sitting position. Miroku then turned towards Inuyasha, only to find the hanyou staring at Lynnette with a soft expression plastered on his face. The monk laughed to himself at the scene of rare affection he was showing.

"Inuyasha, I see that you are awake," Miroku murmured in a calm smile.

The hanyou's back stiffened at the voice of the monk. He felt crimson rise to his cheeks at the notion of being caught staring at the woman. Inuyasha quickly composed himself and turned to glare at the monk, his mask of irritation back in place. "Keh! What about it? It's not my fault that you like to sleep in so much!" he murmured back.

Lynnette curled up tighter, and shifted father away from the monk as though she sensed that Miroku was awake and not interested in being groped again.

Miroku looked over at Lynnette and gave an exasperated sigh at her shifting. "She still hasn't gotten over it, has she?" he asked to no one in particular, shaking his head.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the monk. "She wouldn't act so cold towards you if you'd only kept your hands to yourself," he snorted out.

Miroku heaved another sigh at Inuyasha's words. "It was only a honest accident," he tried to assure his friend, feigning innocence.

"Right it was..." Inuyasha replied in sarcasm.

Sango's eyes snapped open and she too, slowly got up, being quiet so she wouldn't disturb the others. "I don't blame Lynnette-chan for being so upset. She is not used to that kind of rudeness, in some ways she in more innocent than a village maiden." She said in a soft voice as she made her way over to them, ignoring Miroku.

"More innocent?" Inuyasha echoed, his face scrunched up in confusion.

"Men in Kagome-chan and Lynnette-chan's time are not so forward in trying to get a woman's attention. Lynnette-chan had never been touched that way and it scared her." Sango explained.

"Wouldn't it add to the fact that she has been in that illness place for most of her life also?" Inuyasha asked.

Sango nodded. "Most people, men mostly, don't bother looking at her in terms of courting."

The monk's face dropped slightly out of guilt. "I suppose I must apologize for my actions then..." he began.

"She might not believe you." The demon slayer pointed out.

Miroku nodded in defeat. "You may be right at that..." he agreed solemnly.

A few minutes later, both Kagome and Shippou woke up. Kirara was still curled up tight next to Lynnette now that Sango was awake.

"It's about fucking time..." Inuyasha grumbled under his breath.

The young miko shook her head. "Being part demon again hasn't improved your temper I see."

Inuyasha shot a slight glare at the miko for her comment. "Keh!" he only sufficed, not willing to give any more response to her statement.

Kagome rolled her eyes and went to start breakfast. Lynnette however, wouldn't budge.

Shippou looked over towards Lynnette and raised his eyebrow. She was still asleep? Then, not noticeable to anyone else, a small evil smirk crept up to his lips. _'Maybe I should just wake her up then..._' he chuckled to himself. The kitsune made a quick run to Lynnette's side. Not thinking about Lynnette's physical sensitivity, he jumped into her lap as if to awaken her from the sudden pressure of his added weight.

Lynnette however, had rolled onto her back, so Shippou landed flat on her stomach. The redhead screamed blood chillingly in pain, and whatever she spoke was in English, which was a very good thing.

Shippou immediately hopped off of the woman, his wide and heart thumping wildly against his chest. He didn't expect this to happen!

Inuyasha's eyes widened in alarm. "What the--?" he began as he stared at Lynnette and the frightened Shippou backed against the wall opposite of her.

Kirara jumped straight into the air and ran to Sango, while Kagome fell to her knees beside the shuddering Lynnette. Lifting the redhead's head into her lap, she spoke rapidly in the same language as she stroked her hair.

Inuyasha didn't pay much attention to the odd language the two women were sharing. Instead, he fixed his glare on Shippou. A snarl was ripped from his throat as he rushed over and picked the kitsune up by his tail.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" the hanyou demanded.

Shippou's eyes were still wide with surprise and fear from Lynnette's earlier scream. Now, he was more scared from what he knew Inuyasha was going to do with him.

"I--" Shippou began before he was cut off, by a fist hitting his head. A bump quickly surfaced on the child's head.

"That's what I thought! You weren't thinking!" Inuyasha raged, still holding the kitsune tightly.

Shippou did not give a reply to this. He only glared up at the hanyou stubbornly even as tears pricked the corners of his eyes from the pain of the hit.

The shuddering had slowed, but Lynnette still whimpered slightly. Finally after a few long moments, she managed to lift her head off of Kagome's lap and speak in Japanese again. "I'd prefer Miroku's roaming hands to that I think." She said slowly, as though having difficulty remembering the language.

Kagome somehow managed a shaky smile, her heartbeat was slowly calming down. "Don't worry about his hands Lynn."

Miroku inwardly cringed from the comments Kagome and Lynette made about him.

Lynnette swallowed slowly and started to sit up with Kagome's help. "Sorry if I woke anybody up."

Sango looked at Lynnette in concern and asked," Are you sure that you're alright?"

Kirara added in a small mew for emphasis towards the taijiya's question.

The redhead was still very pale, and her eyes were still pain filled. "Yeah just give me a second. What fell on me?"

Inuyasha still tightly clutched the nervous kitsune. If it wasn't for the fear or guilt Shippou felt, he would have already started the waterworks. The hanyou still glared down at the small youkai as Lynnette asked that question.

"Shippou was trying to wake you up, but he landed wrong." Kagome explained, wrapping one arm around her shoulders for Lynnette's support.

"I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean--" Shippou stuttered out despite trying hard to fight off tears.

Lynnette put on her glasses, but frowned at the slight tremble in her hand before trying to smile at the remorseful kitsune. "It's okay Shippou, Just try and be careful next time, Kame, why didn't you wake me up if I was sleeping in? I've kept all of you waiting."

Inuyasha roughly dropped Shippou on the ground before cutting in. "Keh! Maybe it was because you didn't wake up when we tried!" he declared in an irritated tone.

Seeing the flash of hurt and surprise on Lynnette's face, Kagome glared hotly at Inuyasha before carefully helping the redhead to her feet. "Never mind him Lynn, he's always cranky like this before and after a full moon. Let's get you back to your chair."

Inuyasha glowered at Kagome and could only suffice another, "Keh!"

The two women completely ignored him as they slowly made their way out of the room.

Miroku and Sango only looked after the two women in confusion. "Did I just miss something?" the taijiya murmured to herself.

"No, I think that they just formed an alliance against Inuyasha's impulsiveness..." the monk replied sagely.

Inuyasha threw both of them a glare, hearing every word uttered. "You two know that I heard that right?" he growled.

Sango rolled her eyes and then gave Inuyasha a small smirk. "Hm... maybe Lynnette-chan and Kagome-chan are onto something..." she trailed off before walking out after the women. Kirara followed after her companion and Shippou followed suit, not wanting to be left alone with Inuyasha.

'_Damn women!_' Inuyasha mentally cursed.

Kagome and Lynnette had changed their clothes and the redhead was brushing her hair. "Was I really asleep that long?"

The future miko shook her head and took the hairbrush from her friend. "No only a few minutes. Bad night?"

The redhead shrugged "Kinda, just nightmares."

"Be on guard. Inuyasha doesn't seem too happy," the taijiya warned in a tone of sarcasm after approaching them.

"He won't hurt Lynnette, I'll make sure of that." Kagome said in a quiet angry voice as she fixed her friend's hair.

Sango smirked. "Of course he can't hurt her. If he ever did that and manages to survive your 'sits' then I will be sure to utilize Hiraikotsu."

Kirara added in a small growl and a nod of her head as if to agree with their words.

Shippou looked about the group in astonishment. They were so dedicated to protecting Lynnette. This one girl that just joined them. How did she manage to gain their friendship and trust so quickly?

Lynnette smiled. "Thank you. I know that I can't take this personally, but I don't want to slow anybody down either."

Sango looked at Lynnette and gave her an assuring smile. "You're not slowing us down. If you weren't here with Kagome-chan, I'm sure that she wouldn't even be able to function as she normally would because she'd be so worried about your health. So, in a sense, you being here is speeding us up."

The redhead blushed. "Thank you."

A look of sadness flashed briefly crossed Kagome's face. She knew that Sango was right. If Lynnette wasn't there, she would have most likely spent most of her time by the woman's bedside, leaving the rest of the group on their own in looking for the jewel shards. "I suppose you're right, Sango-chan..." Kagome admitted.

The was a glint of humor in Lynnette eyes as she looked at her old friend. "Kame, if I know you, you would have brought me here even if you had to put Inuyasha in a crater to do it!"

A small smirk formed on the miko's lips in response to Lynnette's humor. "That is true..." she trailed off. "It's not like I haven't done it before."

Lynnette laughed. "We better get going." She grinned. "No sense in giving the boys ideas."

"A very good point," the taijiya hummed in agreement.

Kagome finished with her friend's hair and grinned.

Within the hour they were on the road again. The girls (with Shippou) were in front of the men. Miroku and Inuyasha decided that staying in the back was the best idea at the moment. Well, actually it was Miroku who convinced the hanyou that if he made anymore comments, he'd end up in another crater.

Lynnette seemed to be enjoying herself, petting a purring Kirara, yet she could help but feel a sense of unease. She didn't know why though.

Kagome looked over at her best friend and her expression turned into that of concern. "Lynn, is there something wrong? You seem anxious." It seemed as if Kagome could read Lynnette like a book. Even if the woman appeared happy on the outside, Kagome knew her well enough to know that it was an act.

"What? Oh!" She smiled sweetly at Kagome. "I was thinking about those nightmares I had last night."

The miko only raised her eyebrow, not believing Lynnette's explanation. "Are you sure that it's not just that?" she asked in worry.

"Kame, you are fussing over me like a mother hen. I'm fine dearest."

"Alright..." Kagome sighed, deciding not to pry any further.

Lynnette smiled at Kagome again, then her thoughts turned inward once more.

Little did they know that someone _was_ watching their group.

Kirara stood straight up, growling with every hair standing on end.

"What's wrong, Kirara?" Sango asked, noticing her feline friend tensing up. She instinctively gripped Hiraikotsu closer to her.

Miroku's eyes narrowed, sensing something out of the ordinary. "I sense youki..." he stated.

The redhead got a firmer grip on her wheels "Another earth-shaker?"

Sango's eyes narrowed, also beginning to feel the same sensations as the monk. "No, I'm afraid this one will be worse...it's almost as if it's--"

"--Naraku!" Inuyasha declared, finishing the taijiya's sentence.

Lynnette's full pink lips tightened. "Go!" Was all she said.

The rest of the Inu-Tachi nodded in unison.

"Shippou-chan," Kagome whispered.

"What is it, Kagome?" the kitsune asked, looking over at the miko's face.

"I want you to stay here with Lynn," she instructed.

"Right!" Shippou agreed. He still felt bad about earlier that morning and felt that he owed Lynnette for causing her pain whether or not he meant it.

"Kagome, you need Shippou with you..." Lynnette started to say. "His transforming abilities might come in handy."

Shippou was already beside Lynnette. "I'll stay with you!" he said with determination gleeming in his eyes. "I want to help them out however I can and I know that I will just be in their way... so the best I can do is make sure that you don't get hurt."

Lynnette carefully bent down and scratched Shippou between the ears with a surprisingly gentle wasted hand. "All right little one."

Kagome smiled at Shippou's comment. She was glad that he was finally starting to get along with her. "You two stay safe, alright?" she said.

"We'll try Kame, you just look out for yourself."

"Keh! Let's go Kagome! We ain't got all day!" Inuyasha called out, the rest of the group being a few feet ahead of her.

"Right! Coming!" Kagome called back, running to catch up with them.

The redhead watched them go, looking sad as she brushed her hair out of her eyes.

As soon as the group was gone from view, she felt a strong gust of wind blow her hair forwards. She looked down to see Shippou have a petrified look on his face.

"Shippou?" she asked, an expression of confusion written on her face.

"Ka-kag--!" he stuttered, pointing above them.

She lifted her eyes up towards the sky only to find a giant feather blocking out the view. "What in Goddess's name...?" she murmured to herself.

The sound of feminine laughter filled the clearing. The feather moved a few feet forward before a woman dropped down from the craft. After her feet landed on the ground, the feather returned to a smaller form and floated down into her hand. The woman then replaced it within her hair piece.

"Kag-Kagura!" Shippou finally exclaimed.

The woman now known as Kagura pulled out her fan, opening it only slightly, causing a light breeze to stir around them. Her red eyes glimmered with false amusement.

After looking over Lynnette, Kagura's eyes darkened slightly. What the hell was Naraku doing, wanting to affiliate himself with this woman?!

Lynnette looked at Kagura, seemingly calm but her heartbeat raced with fear. Still, the redhead did put herself between Shippou and the wind demoness. She didn't speak, but seemed to be sizing up the other woman, her gaze penetrating with a force outside herself. After a few long moments she finally spoke. "The fight's that way." The redhead pointed in the direction of the others. "So why are you here?"

"Who said that I wanted to fight them today?" she replied in a slight scowl. Her lips then twitched into a smirk, hiding her dislike for this "mission" that Naraku sent her on. "Anyways, if I wanted to fight Inuyasha and his annoying friends, I would be there by now... Besides... I came here to see you in particular..." she added, her crimson eyes beginning to brighten up again.

"Oh?" A fine red-gold eyebrow raised in question. "I have no jewel shards."

"No, but my _master_ _does _hold interest in you..." Kagura replied, making her words sound more suspicious than she wanted them to be.

Lynnette breathed in slowly to calm herself. "I'm not interested."

The wind witch let out a small, bitter laugh. "It's such a shame that you don't have a choice in the matter..." trailed off.

Shippou finally got the nerve to talk. "Wait! What interest would _Naraku _hold in _her_?!" he blurted out.

Though Lynnette wondered the same thing, she kept silent, focusing on staying calm.

Kagura's eyes narrowed at the loud mouthed kitsune. Shippou then took his place behind Lynnette's chair once more.

"Tell your master, thanks but no thanks. I don't have time for him."

The wind witch's smirk nearly turned into an all out grin. "Suit yourself. Once you meet him personally, you won't have much choice in the issue..."

"Somehow, I doubt we'll ever meet. He's a busy Hanyou, I'm sure he has other things to worry about. He better start thinking about where he wants his carcass buried..."

'_Humph, busy my ass. He sends me and his other underlings to do his dirty work while he plots and practices his evil laughter in that damn castle..._' Kagura thought darkly to herself. She kept her smirk in place as she answered, "I'm sure he will find a way. Naraku always manages to get what he wants eventually..."

"No one gets everything they want in life."

A thoughtful look crossed the wind witch's face. "Hmm... you may be right about that..." she trailed off. "But, in Naraku's case, merely visiting you would be an easy snap of his fingers."

"Why waste his time?" She asked with a shrug. "Naraku might find that in doing so, he's spread himself too thin, thus giving Inuyasha a chance to finish him off."

"Funny that you should mention that..." Kagura trailed off. "You have no idea how easy it is for Naraku to distract him and his little group..."

Shippou came out of from behind the power chair, his eyes wide. He began to realize what was going on. "You mean that what Inuyasha and the others are after isn't the real Naraku?!" he demanded in shock.

"Not even Naraku can be everywhere at once." Lynnette said with calm firmness.

"No, but he has eyes watching from everywhere..." she laughed. "You may want to keep that in mind next time you decide you go out on your own..."

At those last words, Kagura took out her feather and tossed it up into the air. A gust of wind blew out of the bottom of the newly formed giant feather as Kagura jumped onto it. She controlled the wind so that it would propel the feather out of the area quickly.

Lynnette paled and as soon as Kagura was gone, rolled behind a tree, her guts heaving until nothing remained of her breakfast.

Shippou watched Kagura's feather fade into the sky and looked over to see Lynnette heaving. His eyes widened and he ran towards her after he knew that she was done. "Are you ok?" he asked in concern.

Shakily, Lynnette sat up. "It's just nerves Shippou." She replied, trying and failing to smile.

"Well, we should warn Inuyasha and Kagome that they aren't fighting the real Naraku!" he then declared.

"Go, I'll be all right."

"Are you sure? They wouldn't want you to be left alone..." the kitsune said.

"Go on, I'll only slow you down. You're faster than I am." Her face was still pale.

"Alright! You can count on me!" Shippou shouted, determination burning in his green eyes as he turned to run off in the direction the group went in.


	10. Captured!

Author's Note: I'm sorry this took so long, I finally managed to tie turtlequeen2 down long enough to get this chapter written. Hope everyone enjoys it, and happy birthday turtlequeen2!

* * *

Shippou ran as fast as his small legs could carry him. He panted as the wind rushed into his lungs and burned his chest. Even though he was a youkai, he still had his limits. He was switching between using one of his flying rocking horses to float on and running earlier. After finding that running was a faster way of travel, he pushed himself forward.

He followed the group's scents and was able to catch up to them. The kitsune saw the group fighting a look-alike Naraku. It was obviously a golem based on the information that Kagura had told him and Lynnette.

The closest person to Shippou was Kagome and so that was who he called upon first. "Kagome!" he yelled in a raspy tone, trying his best to regain his breath. "That isn't the real Naraku! He's distracting you all so he can kidnap Lynnette!"

Kagome's arrow went wide as her heart leapt in her mouth. "Inuyasha! It's a trap!" Her scream rent the air, already turning as though to head back. All Kagome could think about was the fact that Lynnette was all alone, and she had no idea what Naraku could do to her friend.

Inuyasha continued to slice at the puppet's tentacles. "Keh! We still have to kill this thing first!" he announced. Muttering under his breath, he added, "I should've known..."

"Naraku is after Lynn! Kirara, Sango, go back to her!" Kagome fumbled for another arrow as terror sang though her veins. '_Lynn, please be okay! Please!_'

The taijiya nodded, catching Hiraikotsu in her hand after throwing it at Naraku's body. "Got it!" she replied, jumping onto the transformed feline. "Let's go, Kirara!" The nekomata nodded her head and took off into the sky at a quick pace. She also hoped that the woman would be okay.

Reassured that her friends would take care of things, the young miko resumed her attack with a vengeance. "What do you want with her?" Kagome shouted, shooting in between breaths, anger fueling her powers and shortening her temper. This was one woman you didn't piss off lightly, and Naraku was about to learn that the hard way...

The golem let out a low laugh at how the group reacted to the fact that they took so long to figure out his real intentions. "I guess you could say that I have grown curious of her abilities..." he replied.

Miroku thought to himself about what Naraku had just admitted. "What do you find so special about her, Naraku?" the monk inquired.

The fake Naraku smirked from beneath his baboon mask. "I'd like to ask you the same thing, monk. The girl has something radiating from her that obviously the rest of you have not figured out yet..."

Kagome was getting more and more pissed off by the second. "Just leave her the hell alone!"

"It's pretty obvious that we ain't getting anymore useful words out of this bastard!" Inuyasha remarked. "I say we destroy him and get back to Lynette and the others as fast as we can."

For an answer, Kagome just shot another arrow, almost shattering Naraku's mask in the process. Anger burned in the miko's eyes as the next arrow spitefully buzzed where the evil hanyou's ear should have been.

Naraku knew that Kagome was not playing around anymore. He let out another laugh. "You will not reach her in time, Kagome. The longer you all stay here, the farther I will have gotten away from the rest of you."

"You'll find that you've bitten off far more than you can chew. Lynnette would never bow to you." Kagome shot back in fury.

"We'll have to just see about that now, won't we?" he taunted.

Inuyasha snarled with anger. "I heard enough of your shit!" he declared. Charging forward, he brought forth Tessaiga and emitted yellow light from the blade. "Kaze no Kizu!" he cried as the attack ripped through the golem.

Kagome waited tensely, wanting only to run back to her friend as fast as possible. At the same time, she knew that she had to back Inuyasha up if his attack had failed.

The puppet gave no shouts of pain as its body was torn into shreds and turned into a dust, leaving behind only the baboon cloak and the wooden ornament signifying its true form.

Seeing that the golem was gone, her feet flew on their own accord, praying that she wasn't too late.

The hanyou sped ahead of her easily, leaving behind the monk. He knew that Miroku would eventually catch up. He always did.

Inuyasha turned his sights onto the angered miko. It was rare when he saw the young woman this upset. "Kagome!" he yelled, stopping in front of her so she would stop. "Why don't you ride on my back? We'll get there faster!"

Panting, Kagome nodded wordlessly, panic in her eyes. "Please hurry..." She begged as she climbed on.

"You don't need to tell me!" he huffed, immediately rushing towards where Lynnette's scent was located.

Meanwhile, behind the pair ran the monk and the kitsune who decided to hitch a ride on his shoulder. Both of them hoped that they would be there on time.

Lynnette was rolling around backwards, trying to always keep real Naraku in sight. Right now, the redhead was devoutly wishing she had a good thick branch in her hand. "What do you want with me?"

Crimson eyes twinkled with malicious intent. "Something that only you possess," he only replied in a smooth voice. Feigning a sigh, he added, "It's such a shame that you don't even know it yourself..."

Ignoring the stinging skin on her palms, Lynnette kept moving, trying to keep him out of reach. Knowing that she had to buy time, she tried to keep him talking. "What in the world are you talking about? Kagome's the one with most of the jewel shards."

"That is true..." he purred. "However, your abilities could easily help me achieve my goals..."

Her laughter was the polar opposite of humor. "Why would I turn my back on my friends? I have better things to do."

"Ah, but that is where I come in, my dear," the evil hanyou said, his oily voice saying such words that would have made anyone shiver.

Her hands jerked involuntarily on her wheels, coming to a dead stop. "Don't call me that." The redhead snapped.

Naraku advanced towards her. He was only toying with her. He was the predator and she was the prey. There was only so much ground she could cover before she would be trapped. "Oh, so I suppose, Lynnette would be a better name to use, correct?" he asked, taunting her. He twisted her name around so much that it even sounded evil to be uttered.

Automatically, the redhead resumed backing up. "I didn't say you could call me by my name either." Fear tightened her voice and gave it a sharp edge. "If you thought I would help you, you are very sadly mistaken. Please leave at once."

"Now, I would have thought that you would have assumed that I'm not very kind in such a sense. Petty words will not drive me into fear," Naraku chuckled.

Her answer was surprisingly rude, in essence telling him where to stick a certain body part in a very warm place... assuming he _had_ that body part in the first place, which she highly doubted.

His eyes narrowed at her quick retort. Perhaps the prey would be a bit of a challenge, after all? It really did not matter much to him. He had to act fast since the others were on their way.

Agony shot up the reddened skin of her palms, but the calm look in her eyes never faded as predator and prey continue to circle each other.

Naraku saw her face contort in the slightest way and then caught the scent of her pain. What exactly was wrong with this woman? He had little time to debate such a thing. The others were closing in.

"I think we shall have to continue our great conversation elsewhere..." he stated, not bothering with anymore taunting for the moment being. Reaching out with several of his many tendrils, he gripped her body and wheelchair, levitating both momentarily before dragging them back towards his body.

As they passed under a tree, her hand reached out and snapped a low hanging branch then tried to whack him with it, heedless of her own safety should he have dropped her.

He was far more powerful than she was. She managed to get one hit on him with the stick, but he easily grabbed it with one of his hands and snapped it into smaller pieces. "I would not be too rash, now..." he warned, still continuing to move.

For an answer, Lynnette punched him in the mouth. Her eyes burning in triumph as the redhead spotted Sango and Kirara closing in fast.

Naraku resisted the urge to growl at her insolence. He lifted them up into the sky and began to head back towards where he came from.

Both Kirara and Sango caught sights of him as Naraku lifted himself into the air. "Naraku!" Sango cried. "You're not getting away!" She threw her boomerang, yelling out, "Hiraikotsu!" as if flew in his direction.

Lynnette tightened her grip on her chair and shut her eyes in prayer as she prepared to fall and crash.

Naraku smirked as he built up a barrier around them. The boomerang bounced off as easily as a ball bouncing off of a wall. "You always seem to underestimate me, Sango..." he taunted after he saw her catch her weapon.

Sango glared at him. "Let Lynnette go! You have no business with her!" she ordered in an enraged tone.

"Oh, but I _do_..." Naraku replied in a dangerous tone of voice. Pushing some of his tendrils out of the barrier, he allowed her to cut them open. The incisions released large amounts of shouki to which Sango maneuvered away from.

"Dammit!" she yelled, pulling on her gas mask and gripping her weapon. "Lynette, hold on!"

"Sango, get me away from this king of creeps before he decides to drop me!" Lynnette called back, her face pale as she shifted the deathlike grip she had on the armrests of her wheelchair. Almost out of reflex, the redhead looked down. If possible, her face went even paler. "It's an awful llllooonnnggg way down from up here Sango." She added.

The evil hanyou was tempted to drop her a few feet just to taunt her, but withheld the urge. He could not do risky things when anyone from the Inuyasha-tachi was around.

Sango dodged the shouki to the best of her ability but knew that if no one else arrived soon, he'd make his escape.

Naraku let out a small laugh. "I thought you wanted to cut me so badly so I granted your wish..." he commented.

The taijiya glared at him, feeling anger flow through her veins. "You bastard!" she shouted, throwing her boomerang again. However, all that did was release more shouki into the air. Her gas mask could only protect her for so long.

"Sango, that gassy stuff is only getting worse! Get help!" Her voice felt raw with terror, and her dilated pupils made her eyes look black in fear.

"And leave you here, alone with him?" Sango shot back. "That's what Naraku wants!" She looked down a Kirara for a split second, silently apologizing for endangering her life once more. Despite her being a youkai, the miasma still harmed her. She was already beginning to weaken. "There has to be some way to take him down..." the taijiya murmured aloud.

"You think I want to be left alone with him, not a chance!" the irate redhead shot back.

"Exactly why I'm not leaving!"

Naraku watched the exchange, feeling both amused and annoyed. He knew that at any time, he could leave and Sango could do nothing to stop him. He lingered merely to make it more agonizing on the taijiya and she knew it. The evil hanyou was also surprised that Lynette was less afraid of him than the height she was being held at. Yes, the woman was very interesting, indeed.

"Inuyasha, where are you at?" she muttered.

"I'd love to stay and chat, but I have more important items of business to take care of..." Naraku said, sensing Inuyasha and the others close by. He began to make his escape once more.

Sango cursed. "I don't think so!" she declared, throwing Hiraikotsu again. Her attempts were having no effect on him. She was powerless against Naraku without the others around and she hated to admit it.

It was all Lynnette could do to keep from screaming in panic. She wanted down and she wanted down _right now_!

Once Naraku saw the others, he knew that he would have to escape quickly before the rest of them decided to annoy him. "It was good seeing you again, taijiya," Naraku addressed in a sarcastic manner. "I'll be sure to tell your brother that you said 'hello.' "

Sango felt anger pump through her veins at his last remark. She wouldn't let him get away with mocking Kohaku! "Dammit! Naraku! Stop running away like a coward!" she yelled, preparing to throw her weapon again.

"Sango!" shouted Inuyasha as he neared the scene and saw her being the only one engaged in a battle against their arch nemesis. "Lynnette!" he added in a growl when he saw her current position.

Lynnette swallowed hard, her eyes black with fear and the whites showing all around. "Get. Me. Down. NOW!" Was all the redhead could get out.

"She terrified of heights." Kagome's tight voice told Inuyasha.

Inuyasha nodded and allowed the miko to slide off his back before he drew his sword. "Naraku! Let her go!" Charging up his sword, he watched it glow red before he unleashed his attack. "Kaze no Kizu!" he cried as the flashes of light flew towards the floating barrier.

Naraku's expression became annoyed as he saw the light swirl around his barrier. "Inuyasha, must you be reminded that that particular attack does not work on me anymore?" he teased. "Besides, you wouldn't want to hurt your precious Lynnette if the attack got through now, would you?"

Inuyasha cursed. Naraku had a point. He had to be more careful. But how...?

Seeing the look of indecision in the hanyou's golden eyes, Lynnette swallowed hard as she gathered her courage and took a deep breath. "Inuyasha, remember what I told you." She said quietly, a haunted peace lurking in her gaze.

The amber-eyed hanyou saw Lynnette's haunting expression and remembered the words she had given him when they were in the hospital. She told him to leave her for dead if she got in trouble. Glancing back at Kagome, he found that he just couldn't do it. Kagome didn't know about that arrangement and would want to slaughter him if she knew that he didn't try his hardest to protect her friend. "Dammit..." he growled aloud.

Lynnette nodded, acceptance in her eyes. "Better by your hands than his Inuyasha." She said consolingly.

Was there any way to make Lynnette think that he was honoring her words while at the same time... not? Either way, he had to do something fast.

Miroku looked up, noticing that Inuyasha and Lynnette were staring at each other. Was there something going on between them? Shaking his head, he knew that now was not the time for that. "Naraku, I will ask you this. Why do you want Lynette-sama? While she is not like the average human, she is fragile and not the type of person I would imagine that you'd find interest in," the monk observed.

Kagome wasn't liking the silent conversation that seemed to be going on between them either, and the arrow trembled in her bow as she waited for a clear shot. Her eyes filled with mingled despair and rage.

Naraku chuckled, his grip never lessoning on the woman. "It's rather simple, really." His eyes glimmered with amusement and annoyance. He wasn't able to escape without a confrontation after all. Ah well. "Lynette has a rare ability within her that not many possess. It is obvious that no one is aware of it yet."

"Inuyasha..." Lynnette's voice was low and urgent. "Do it. Remember your promise." Fear was starting to creep in her eyes.

The evil hanyou heard Lynnette's pleading voice. Had the hanyou and Lynnette made some secret agreement? It made him wonder if Kagome or Kikyou knew. Could he use it to his advantage later when he coaxed it from her? It sounded promising. "What are you waiting for, Inuyasha? Attack me if you are so determined to get back 'precious Lynnette'," he taunted.

Lynnette sighed softly and closed her eyes after giving Kagome one last loving smile. "I am ready."

The young miko's heart jumped into her throat. "Lynnette..." She said, fear growing by the second. "NO!" The word was a scream.

Sango gripped onto her weapon, looking down at Kirara. Her nekomata returned the same determined emotion in her expression. It was now or never.

The nekomata sped up to Naraku, allowing Sango to hurl her boomerang bone in his direction. The weapon managed to get through the barrier because the evil hanyou was too busy paying attention to the others to keep his full power behind the blockade. Hiraikotsu managed to slice off the side of his body that wasn't holding onto Lynnette. "Naraku!" Sango growled. "Release Lynnette!"

Kagome shot an arrow to empathize Sango's point, not liking how calm Lynnette looked. "Let her down... slowly."

Naraku's body began to regenerate itself with little effort on his part. His face still shone with confidence despite the fact that he looked like he was losing. "Well, if I did that, then coming out here would have been a waste. You'll have to forgive me, Kagome, but I do not think that I can comply with your request at the moment." His tone sounded like he was teasing the group.

Inuyasha let out another growl. "Cut the shit, Naraku!" he yelled. Charging up his sword, he knew that now was his only chance to cut at his enemy. "Take this!" Slamming down his blade, he unleashed the familiar torrent of yellow lights. "Kaze no Kizu!"

With Naraku's barrier down thanks to Sango's Hiraikotsu, the man had nothing up to protect him. Inuyasha also made sure that it wasn't a big enough attack to destroy his entire body so that Lynnette wouldn't be harmed by much.

However, the attack never hit him.

Out of nowhere, several wind blades sliced apart the semi-weak version of Inuyasha's assault.

The wind blades hit the ground, making everyone take a few steps back. The creator of the blades revealed herself with a smirk.

"Inuyasha, how pleasant it is to see you again," Naraku's ally addressed, opening her fan with a flourish. "You'll have to forgive me, but Naraku is really determined to get what he wants this time." With that, she released even more of her wind blades.

Dodging all of her attacks, the hanyou snarled. "I don't have time for you right now, Kagura! Stay out of my way or I'll kill you!"

"Actually, being in the way is my specialty," Kagura replied, her red eyes glimmering with amusement. "Fuujin no mai!" she shouted, continuing her attacking. She inwardly knew that Inuyasha could have easily killed her but she was not taking the fight all that seriously either.

Miroku and Sango both inwardly groaned. Kagura being here was just Naraku's plan and they knew it. That was why his expression never faltered even as he was "injured."

Fear warred with despair in Lynnette's light blue eyes as she swallowed hard. Her lips moved as though in prayer, but no sound came out of them. The knuckles on both hands were white as she struggled to control herself.

Kagura produced multiple tornadoes, all of which Inuyasha sliced in half. "Dammit! I'm fighting Naraku right now, not you!" he growled. Glaring at Naraku, he knew that the bastard planned it from the start. Still, he it wasn't like he could ignore Kagura. If he didn't pay attention to her, she could easily cut him up.

Kagome was fair vibrating with fury, and was slowly moving to circle Naraku, doubting that she'd be noticed.

Sango froze when she saw something on the ground that she never noticed before. She knew that Kirara felt it as well. Before she could say anything, a chain flew from out of the forest, wrapping itself around Kagome's ankle. "Kagome-chan!" she yelled, making Kirara lower both of them down.

Startled, the young miko found herself tripping, the bow flew from her hand as she saw stars from the impact. "Damnit..." She snarled in anger.

Inuyasha whirled around when he heard Kagome's curse. "Kagome! You okay?" he shouted in a tone of concern.

"I'm fine!" She shouted, sitting up and trying to unwind the chain around her ankle.

However, while he was distracted, Kagura managed to sneak attack him. He gave a shout of pain as he felt his side be sliced open. "Dammit!" he repeated, focusing on his current opponent.

While all of the commotion was going on down below, Naraku chuckled, watching them. "Such a nice show, wouldn't you agree?" he asked, touching the top of Lynnette's head to get her attention.

Lynnette flinched at his touch. "It won't work you know." She said calmly. "You are only wasting your time."

Naraku raised his eyebrow. "What won't work?"

"Whatever you want me for."

"You don't even know what I desire you for so how would you know?" he questioned. She held a confidence that he only saw in the two priestesses he dealt with in his lifetime. It made his prey even more appealing.

"I don't," was the redhead's honest answer. "However, I'm guessing that you'll need me to be cooperative no matter what your plan is. That's something I'm not gonna do."

"We'll see about that..." he sneered. He looked down at the boy who had appeared, stilling the other side of the chain and laughed. "Kohaku and Kagura have done well," he admitted aloud. Gripping onto Lynnette tightly, he wrapped his barrier around them once more and began his ascent into the sky.

"Kohaku!" Sango shouted, clearly too dazed with her brother to notice Naraku's escape.

The younger taijiya was still being controlled by Naraku. His eyes reflected the spell he was placed under and he walked towards them with his sickle raised high.

Miroku and Shippou seemed to be the only ones who saw Naraku making his escape. "He's getting away!" the fox shouted, coming out of his hiding spot.

"Lynnette!" Kagome's scream ripped the air in her despair. It sounded as though both heart and soul were being ripped from her body.

Inuyasha managed to push Kagura back from him for a few minutes with a sudden attack in order to turn towards Kagome. Hearing her scream her friend's name with such horror sent chills up his spine. "Shit!" he cursed. He turned and attempted to chase after Naraku but knew that he was too far away to catch.

It was obvious that Kagura wouldn't follow because she was supposed to be a distraction anyways.

When Naraku and Lynnette were unable to be seen, Kagura called for her partner. "Kohaku, let's go. We're done here."

The boy nodded, pulling back his chain and running to her side.

"Kohaku!" Sango shouted, trying to reach out for her younger brother.

Kagura plucked a feather from her hair and tossed it up, waiting for it to grow into its giant form. The two of them hopped onto it and sped out of the area before anything more could be done.

Inuyasha reunited with the group after Naraku managed his escape. "Kagome..." he murmured, seeing her break down in an agony of loss.

Kagome's legs collapsed as she sobbed in heartbreak. Her shoulders heaving as tears ran down her face.

Enraged, the hanyou whirled around to glower at Miroku and Sango. "You two could have been a little more helpful!" he snapped.

Sango grit her teeth, knowing that once more, her weakness for Kohaku caused the rest of her group pain. "I know...," she murmured guiltily.

Miroku sighed. "Kagome-sama was also distracted by Kohaku's sudden attack. We couldn't control the circumstances."

Inuyasha knew they had a point, but didn't want to admit it to them. He just hated to see Kagome so upset. He felt as if she was exposing all of her sorrow and rage to them at a level that she had never revealed to them before. It honestly scared him.

"What could he have wanted with her?" Kagome gasped out, her deep soulful eyes blinded by tears of agony. "How did he know she was here?"

The monk was usually the calm one in most bad situations they were caught in. This was not an exception. "He probably used Kanna's mirror or sent Saimyoushou out to spy on us," he explained.

"But why her? What was he talking about?" The miko's body shook as she tried to bring herself under control.

Miroku shook his head. "No one but Naraku knows. It seems as if even Lynnette-sama was clueless. The good thing is that based on what he wants her for, he cares enough not to kill her. We will have time to rescue her without worrying about that."

"Which is why we need to start moving now," Inuyasha growled. "We can't let Naraku keep her."

Kagome sniffed and rose to her feet, hunting for her bow and arrows. "If he harms _one_ hair on her head..." She snarled darkly.

"Hopefully we'll be there before he'd have the chance to attempt to do anything to her," Miroku commented. He looked over at Sango who still stood by in silence. "Sango, we will get Kohaku back. Please do not beat yourself up about this situation. We cannot afford to lose efficient fighters."

Sango gave him a weak nod, knowing that he was right. "Thank you, Houshi-sama." Her expression became determined.

Shippou hopped onto Kirara's back, sniffling all the while. "Lynnette!" he wailed. It seemed as if the kitsune was really growing close to her after all.

Kirara let out a gentle rumble to comfort her friend but at the look Sango gave her, she let out a roar. Kirara's newest friend had been taken by her worst enemy, and now the cat demon found herself with one less woman to pet her, she was not very pleased.

The nekomata felt worry ever since she first found out about Naraku wanting Lynnette. She knew that her friend had a rare energy about her that made her powerful in her own right. However, it seemed as if no one around noticed. Her abilities must have been dormant but at least noticeable to some degree for Naraku to find out.

Kagome found her bow and quiver of arrows, rage dancing with despair in her chocolate brown eyes. "Let's go everyone." There was a note of steel in her voice, and the unspoken message was that no one was getting any sleep that night, or for some nights to come.

Inuyasha let out an angered growl at Naraku's actions, but agreed with Kagome. Getting in front of her, he waited for her to get on his back in order for them to speed up the process of covering ground. He had no problem going a few nights without sleep.

Sango, Shippou, and Miroku got onto the transformed neko and followed behind the pair. They could not waste a second of their time. Looking down at the pair, the monk and taijiya could not remember a time when they appeared as determined as they were currently.

Kirara knew that the others were planning on doing reckless searches for Lynnette and she could not agree more. She wanted to tear Naraku apart with her fangs at the particular moment.

Shippou, perched on Miroku's shoulder, continued sniffling at having seen their new friend stolen by their worst enemy. He did not want to lose sleep, but this sacrifice was one that everyone would have to make. He had to be brave like everyone else! Naraku would not get away with this!

All the while, each of them prayed that Lynnette could hold out while they searched for her.


	11. Prisoner or Princess?

Author's Note: I know it's been _forever_ since my last update, but it took me quite a while to track down Turtlequeen2. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep track of her long enough for another chapter or two, but I can't make any promises. Please leave a review if you have the time. I also have a website now if you'd like to keep track of this or any of my other stories.

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The redhead called Lynnette looked pale even when she was passed out cold from fright. Apparently, the combined stress and fear had been too much for her to take, because after Naraku had escaped from Inuyasha's group Lynnette collapsed into the blessed realm of unconsciousness. Only her steady breathing and pulse let her captor know he wasn't carrying a corpse back to his lair.

Crimson eyes glimmered with amusement, looking down at the "prize" he had managed to collect from his enemies. The only thing Naraku knew was that he would be looking forward to properly _welcoming_ his distinguished _guest_ when she finally woke up. Tightening his hold over Lynnette's wheelchair with his tentacles so that she wouldn't have the chance of falling, Naraku was now able to get a better close up look of her defined features. Despite being human, her fiery red hair and pale skin managed to give her an appearance that was unlike anything he had ever seen before. One could even say that Naraku was even _more_ taken by her beauty now that he could see her in person instead of just through the confines of a mirror.

Although her chest was completely flat, her scent and every movement declared that she was a woman. Her full pink lips quirked slightly, which showed Naraku her dimples. This woman was full of sunshine and loved to share that light with those around her with a happy smile, but the pain-lines that had formed around her closed long blonde lashed eyes said that death was slowly winning in his courtship. While the young woman spurned her 'suitor' in the light of day, night was when it became harder to resist his tender offers of peace.

'_What is it about her that interests me the most?_' Naraku thought to himself, continuing to look down at the slumbering woman. What was so special about a human who could not even walk? That alone, perplexed him as they drew nearer to his castle.

As if in answer to his question, faint silver power flickered around her like an aura as she started to stir. It seemed that the power, if such a thing could be possible, was _happy_ as it coaxed its mistress back to life again. The frown lines on her face darkening her face for a moment as though the redhead was reluctant to be called back to this world.

The dark hanyou noticed the subtle movements she gave and caught the glimpse of power she gave off. It was as if she were unconsciously beckoning him to investigate her more than he intended to. However, he knew one thing to be certain. There was something about her abilities as a human that even her friends did not know about.

Her sleep clouded eyes opened even as she crossed her wrists in front of her chest. For the barest moment before the power seemed to vanish, her eyes looked like silver flames instead of blue. Letting out the breath she was holding, the power hidden or dismissed once more, Lynnette swallowed hard. "Shoulda stayed asleep..." The girl muttered to herself.

Noticing his "guest" regaining consciousness, Naraku smirked ever so slightly. "It's nice to see you awake," he quietly remarked.

The color, what remained of it, fled again. "Yep I shoulda _stayed_ asleep."

Since the power only lingered for a few moments, Naraku idly wondered how much control she had over her powers. '_Does she even have control over her aura at all?_'

While the hanyou was musing Lynnette seemed to give herself a mental shake and composed herself. "Now what?"

Noticing how Lynnette was so deep into her thoughts that she was able to ignore Naraku, the man pondered about her mental capacity. '_Why does part of me not want to let my guard down around her?_' he asked himself before figuring out that she reminded himself of another deep thinker: Kikyou.

As her thoughts turned further inward, her eyes took on a far away quality to them as she idly pulled her braid forward with her left hand and alternately stroked it nervously or looped it around her slender wrist. She had completely withdrawn into herself. Perhaps the redhead's withdrawal was a reaction to her fear of heights, or to hide her nervousness- though not quite fear- of her captor, it was unknown which.

The longer Lynnette thought to herself, the more Naraku realized that she was even deeper thinker than Kikyou. However, for some reason, this made him smirk even more. _'Her lack of attention to what's going on around her may be a weakness to keep in mind..._' he mentally noted. The dark hanyou continued to roll around these thoughts in his head until they finally came upon his castle grounds. He was easily able to pass through the magenta barrier that surrounded his grounds and carefully placed Lynnette on the dirt path in front of the castle. '_I suppose that I should clear away most of the shouki in this place since most humans are weak in this atmosphere..._' he concluded to himself, mentally dispersing the toxic air within the boundaries of his barrier.

Coming back to herself, her nose wrinkled in extreme distaste. "What's that awful smell?" Lynnette asked.

"Shouki," Naraku explained, not seeing the point in lying to her. "Luckily, for you, it's not in a high enough dosage to kill a human."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." She answered, breathing through her mouth instead of her nose.

"It's odd for a human to be able to tell its scent..." the dark hanyou murmured. "What do you think it smells like?"

"Sulfur, rotten eggs and cat piss." She replied promptly. "A really, really bad mix."

"You'll get used to it," Naraku replied off-handedly, using his tendrils to push her chair into the dark corridors of the castle.

Lynnette didn't answer him, the look in her eyes made speech completely redundant. Clearly, she didn't agree with Naraku, but was too well mannered to say so.

The evil hanyou pushed her in silence until they arrived in his study.

Within the room sat a silent, albino girl that only stood once her master entered. Her white hair was decorated with camellia flowers and she clutched tightly to her mirror as if it were her life force. Her soulless black eyes stared blankly at Lynnette, never making a move to approach the woman.

Her hands rested calmly in her lap, and she covered her fury with a warm smile at the child. If one didn't know any better, you would think that she had come to Naraku's lair of her own free will. "Hello there."

Naraku observed Lynnette's actions towards his incarnation and couldn't help but get drawn in by her innocent smile. Some deep part of himself wondered if there would ever be a time where she looked at him with the same expression. Though, before he could continue thinking in such a way, he inwardly berated himself.

The "child" said nothing in return, not even blinking at the new guest in the castle. Without a command, she stepped closer to the girl and spoke her first chilling, emotionless words. "Your name is Lynnette," she whispered.

"Yes it is. Your name is Kanna, correct?" As she spoke, she moved her left hand and held it down at the child's level so that Kanna could touch it if she wished, but deep inside she shivered in pain that had nothing to do with her body's ills. '_This is a deep wound... will she let me help?_' Lynnette wondered.

Wanting to know what Lynnette was up to, Naraku mentally commanded Kanna to do as the woman wanted.

Like a kitten's paw, Kanna's hand lightly ran across the young woman's hand, sensing Lynette's sensitive pain. "You are suffering," she murmured without emotion, just as she were stating a fact.

As they touched, Lynnette's silver power flared over both their hands, letting Kanna feel the warmth of the older woman's hand in her own. The power lingered for a moment, then a spark of it sank into Kanna's hand, it didn't hurt but instead felt warm and welcoming. "Yes, but so are you little one." The redhead answered just as softly.

Kanna slowly pulled her hand away, not bothering to say anything. Her lack of emotions did not allow her to respond to such an odd statement. The girl took a small step backwards, not blinking while at the same time, continuing to look the woman over.

Returning her hand to her lap, she smiled at the child, seemingly pleased with her work. Then the mask returned as she turned her attention back to her captor and waited patiently.

Naraku raised her eyebrow at Kanna's actions, but chose not to remark upon it. "Kanna," he began. "You can leave now."

The albino youkai bowed her head. "Yes, Naraku," she murmured quietly before turning to make her exit out of the room.

The redhead didn't turn her head, but kept her attention solely on Naraku. Her fingers laced demurely in her lap, giving the air that she was prepared to wait all night long if need be. Although this seemed like complete polite subservience, Lynnette had discovered that this act often made people even more nervous than if she had shown her true feelings. '_It works a great deal better than screaming and having a fit anyway._' She thought as her gaze pierced his.

Naraku was impressed at the woman's attempts to show her bravery, he thought about his next move. Finally having the woman where he wanted her, he began to speak with a newfound sense of eloquence. "I can only assume that you've known that I've been watching you from afar..."

"Hasn't anyone ever told you it's impolite to spy?" She asked mildly, not answering his question even though her eyes flashed in anger.

"'Impolite'?" the dark hanyou echoed with a hint of amusement flavoring his voice. A small smirk lined his thin lips as he continued to look at her form. "My _dear_, you're staring at a man who specializes in making people suffer. I believe I'm _very well_ past the requirement of what is considered 'polite' or 'impolite'..."

She glared at him openly now, her knuckles turning white with the effort of keeping her composure. "If that is true, then why are you wasting your time and your resourses with me? You may talk the talk, but your actions aren't showing you can walk the walk to back up your boasting mouth." Lynnette looked amused now, as though he was a child she'd just caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Naraku only faintly raised his eyebrow at her reaction, noticing her composure slipping slightly. "'Why do I bother with you'? you ask...?" he murmured out loud. "It's rather simple, really. You have something that draws my curiosity..."

Now his 'guest' raised her eyebrow in return. "Are you trying to tell me that this 'curiosity' of yours is worth wasting and loosing jewel shards over? Try again."

The evil hanyou pondered over her words for a few moments. '_I believe that she will provide me with more of a challenge that I had predicted,_' he thought to himself before deciding to answer her question. "Are you assuming that I will lose?" he questioned.

"I'm not 'assuming' anything." The girl replied calmly. "I know you will."

Naraku couldn't help but momentarily lose his own composure, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly in her direction. "We will see about that, won't we?" he murmured in a lower tone.

Her shoulders straightened in challenge. "Will we?" In a gesture of dismissal, she unclasped her hands to place them on the tires of her chair as though to roll away from him and leave the room.

The dark hanyou stepped forward a few paces with a smirk on his face. "I wouldn't want you to leave any time soon," he practically purred, reaching his hand out to touch her cheek. "You _are_ the first _honored_ guest I've had here in a long while..."

Although she froze at his touch, a frown played her lips. "I'm sure that you will have much better things to do than keep me underfoot."

Naraku's smirk grew wider at her reaction to his touch. "While the group you travel with is unable to find my location, you're my main source of amusement for the time being," he murmured, not yet withdrawing his hand from her skin.

"I apologize in advance for the disappointment then." Lynnette stated coldly, turning her head slightly to the side to break the contact with the evil hanyou, but ignoring how her braided hair brushed softly against his hand.

The woman's captor couldn't help but be slightly disappointed once their physical contact broke apart. Pulling his hand back towards his body, he glanced towards the shoji door that led into the hallway. "I hope you'll get used to your stay here because you won't be leaving for a while..." he informed her.

Now the girl smirked and made to roll away before something _else_ happened to her. "Somehow, I highly doubt that Naraku."

In answer to a silence summons, a young woman slid open the thin door at that moment, her red eyes looking over at the woman who was rolling away from Naraku. "You called?" she asked her master in a flippant tone, showing her obvious dislike to the man who created her.

Lynnette stopped in place, studying the person in front of her in silence.

"Yes," Naraku murmured, narrowing his eyes in annoyance to his incarnation's tone towards him. "I want you to take Lynnette to the room I had you prepare for her," he ordered in an authoritative voice.

The black-haired woman sighed, trying hard to continue teetering on the fence of making sure Naraku knew she hated him while trying not to anger him too much to get her killed. Looking over the woman, she spoke in her direction. "You're gonna have to follow me."

Nodding in agreement, Lynnette put her hands a little higher on her tires to increase the push on her chair, not sparing Naraku a glance.

Lynnette's crimson-eyed captor stood in silence, not bothering to mess with the woman anymore for the time being. Now that he knew how cunning she was, Naraku knew that he had to never underestimate her skill.

Glancing back at Naraku's new "victim," the red-eyed woman tried her best not to look at her with an expression of pity. Walking away from her master's study, she led the woman down the dark corridors of the castle until they came upon an individual room. Stepping forward, the incarnation slid open the door to let Lynnette inside.

She followed her guide in silence, but when they were a safe distance from the room, Lynnette cocked her head to the side. "And your name is...?" Her voice was quiet and calm.

The servant looked down at the other young woman and quickly replied, "Kagura" as if she were in a rush to let the name slip out of her mouth before they were forced out.

"My name is Lynnette." She smiled softly, and rolled into her room, what she saw made her mouth fall wide open. That action betrayed her youth and uncertainty.

For such a gloomy looking castle, the spacious room the women were in was painted with bright shades of blue and gold. A separate door in the back of the room led to a personal bathing house. Within the area they were standing in were expensive wooden furnishings, seeming to be fit for only the Empress of Japan, herself! Each corner of the dressers and tables were trimmed with expensive metals like gold and silver. The bed was a light blue double-stacked futon, the closest thing a person could get to a westernized bed in this time period.

For a full minute, all Lynnette could do was open and close her mouth like a fish. Finally, she managed to get something out of her mouth. "Oh Goddess... what's going on?"

The wind-witch shrugged, pulling out her fan out of a habit seemingly programmed into her. "Apparently, Naraku's taken a great interest in you, Lynnette," she remarked dryly.

Swallowing, she nodded an agreement. "Is it just me, is it starting to seem like Naraku is treating me like a... bride?" The last word was the real question.

Kagura blinked for a moment, pondering over the question for a few seconds. "Well... I can tell you one thing," she remarked. "He hasn't chased after a woman with this much enthusiasm since _Kikyou_."

The wind sorceress raised her eyebrow. "What did you think he captured you for?" she couldn't help but ask.

"I don't know, but I thought maybe he was planning on using me as a hostage, maybe to gain the rest of the jewel shards." Again, she looked around the room. "This room, however, doesn't match up with that at _all_..." Shaking her head, she tried to regain control of herself. "This is _not_ good."

Kagura couldn't help but feel a small amount of pity for the girl. Even if Naraku _didn't_ like Lynnette in _that_ way, the fact that he went this far just to capture her would put anyone on edge. At the same time, Kagura also knew that if Naraku was paying too much attention to his new "guest," it would give her more free time to do as she pleased. That last thought seemed very promising for her.

Finally getting up her courage, the redhead looked at Kagura. "Tell me the truth, Naraku's room isn't far from mine right?"

"Well, it depends on what you define as far," the woman replied. "But he could just as easily come in here if that's what you're talking about."

Now Lynnette's cheeks turned green as she studied the doors. "There has to be a way..."

"What? To escape?" Kagura guessed, her tone sounding as if she had just scoffed at an unbelievable discovery.

"A way to lock or block the damn door. Or if that fails, the bathroom door." She snapped.

"...Good luck with that plan," the wind-witch snorted. "I've tried everything to block him out of my room and it never works."

"You aren't helping," she looked up from the door. "Damn no lock or bolts... looks like I won't be sleeping much..."

Kagura rolled her eyes at the young woman. "They're paper-thin doors. Anyone could cut holes in any of the squares between the wooden bars," she remarked sarcastically. "And I'm not here to help you either."

She glared at them, then balled her right hand into a fist. "I won't been beaten damnit, I won't, I won't! There has to be something that I'm missing. I might be dying but I'm not dead yet!" She muttered.

The incarnation paused in her sarcastic responses to hear Lynnette talk to herself. '_I wonder how long she'll last against Naraku?_' she asked herself.

Meanwhile, back in Naraku's study, the dark hanyou was sitting in silent contemplation. He had already had a goal in mind for what he would do with Lynnette, but did not yet know how to go about it. Obviously, he knew how important she was to Inuyasha's group and wanted to know just how much potential she had when her powers went to work, but did not know specifically how to draw what he wanted out of her.

One of his saimyoushou buzzed into the room. If a bug could snicker, this one certainly was. It was the same one that had kept watch over Lynnette and seemed to have taken a liking to her. "_I think the room rattled her a bit, she's looking for a way to seal the door shut so you can't get in without waking her up._" It reported.

Upon hearing his hell insect's mental report, Naraku let out an amused chuckle, putting his own silent ponderings in the back of his mind for the time being. "I've already made her squirm this early in the game?" he asked out loud, a dark smirk lining his lips.

"_She's being very careful and taking no chances._" The Saimyoushou defended her, sounding annoyed.

Naraku let out another low laugh. "That just makes it all the more enjoyable for me, now, doesn't it?" he replied, still amused.

"_Remember the monk with the wandering hands? That's why she wants a seal, he would back off, she knows you won't._" It pointed out.

The dark hanyou raised his eyebrow at his creation. "Are you implying that I'm in the same class as that monk?" he asked, becoming slightly annoyed.

"_What would you do in her place in unfamiliar territory brought by someone you didn't know or trust? She doesn't know who else is here or if help would be near if the worst were to happen. Even if you didn't harm her, someone else might as far as she knows._"

Now making sense of what the saimyoushou meant; Naraku calmed himself. "So you're suggesting that I do something to make her trust me?"

"_Either that or let her adjust to her surroundings first so that she feels safer._" The hell insect answered.

The evil hanyou nodded his head, now figuring out what he would do. "Go continue to watch over her and report back to me anything I might find that interesting," he ordered, wanting more time to think to himself.

Buzzing gleeful agreement, the saimyoushou left the room.

Naraku stared ahead of him into the darkness of the room around him. Smirking to himself, he murmured, "I believe tomorrow will prove to be highly amusing..."


	12. Naraku plots, miko meetings

Author's note: Once again, thank you to turtlequeen2 for all of your help with this chapter, with any luck we should be updating more often now. Please forgive the lateness of this chapter and please remember to leave a review.

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Even by daybreak, the atmosphere in Naraku's castle was still enshrouded in shadows and darkness. Miasma spread through every part of the grounds, weaving around like wisps of smoke.

As soon as a certain evil hanyou could figure out that the sun was up, he rose to his feet from where he sat and pushed back the door to his study. Wanting to know what his "guest" was up to, he made his way to Lynnette's room.

Lynnette looked like she hadn't slept too much, but she petted the anxiously buzzing saimyoushou with a finger before running a brush though her hair. "Shush, I'm fine buzzing one." The redhead murmured to it.

Deciding to humor the young woman, instead of pushing the door open, Naraku called out, "Lynnette," expecting some type of reaction from her.

The response was the sound of the brush being dropped followed by a not-quite-muffled curse. "Just a moment." She called, quickly finishing with her hair and rolling to the door. Sliding it open, she looked at Naraku. "Good morning."

The dark man smirked, obviously amused with the reaction he evoked from her. "I hope the accommodations fit your needs," he remarked, referring to the lavish room he made for her.

Not taking her eyes off him, Lynnette held out her hand for the brush that Naraku's insect was bringing her. "Thank you." She rewarded the insect with a brief smile. Setting the brush in her lap, she rolled back a few paces so he could enter. "It is very comfortable, thank you for asking."

Naraku flashed a brief annoyed expression at the saimyoushou who seemed to be over-enthusiastically buzzing when Lynette thanked him. Focusing his attention back on the woman, he kept his smirk in place. "I'm glad that you find yourself comfortable in this place," he murmured. It wasn't as if he was planning to let her out any time soon.

"Thank you." She repeated, wisely keeping the rest of her thoughts from her tongue. Looking up at the insect she sighed, "All right, go ahead, and just don't leave me any nasty surprises up there okay?"

Buzzing in amusement, the saimyoushou landed on her head and appeared to fall asleep. The hell insect looked like a strange but interesting hair ornament against her flame red hair.

Naraku raised his eyebrow at his insect, never seeing any of his saimyoushou taking to humans before.

Lynnette just sighed "Never seen red hair before I guess, he wouldn't leave it alone until I let him perch there." She explained.

"Red hair isn't uncommon on youkai, but it's a rarity on humans..." the hanyou commented. "Then again... you're not from these lands, are you?"

"No I'm not. Where I was born, no two people looked alike." She agreed. "I've seen hair the shade of the golden sun, brown like the rich earth, and raven wing black, to every color in between."

The older man nodded his head, playing civil with the woman for the moment. "...So I imagine that you're from the West?" he questioned, only hearing little of places outside of Japan.

"Yes. I was."

"I see..." Naraku murmured, oddly finding himself interested in her history.

Lynnette frowned slightly. "Was there something in particular you wanted?"

The hanyou felt his smirk return at her question. "I'm here to confirm something..." he trailed off.

"And what would that would be?" Lynnette inquired

Without warning, the man moved forward swiftly, grasping Lynnette's arm with a firm grip.

Lynnette's eyes blazed in anger and she hit his side with the side of her free hand. Her power felt like fire against him. "You have ten seconds to let go of me." The redhead said through clenched teeth.

Naraku inwardly cringed, feeling the woman's powers flare against his touch. His hand released her arm, not wanting to piece himself back together again anytime in the near future. He frowned slightly, confirming what he had assumed before kidnapping her.

Taking a deep breath, she relaxed, shaking her arm slightly. "I held back this time, next time I won't." Her slender fingers flared with silver energy as she tested them, staring at them until the power faded.

The evil hanyou stood still, his crimson eyes examining her as if she were a new specimen discovered by a zoologist. He tried to make sense of her odd powers, knowing they were quite as purifying as a miko's abilities nor were they corrupted like a youkai's youki. It almost seemed as if her energy was a different breed of miko altogether.

Lynnette was frowning as she shook her hand out. "Is that all you wanted?" She asked coldly.

Naraku's amusement returned as he backed away from her. "Yes," he answered. "You're free to wander around this castle if you wish." The man then finally turned his back on her and left the room with a wicked sneer on his face. Now, he had a better idea of what to do with the woman.

A few minutes later, when she was sure that Naraku was gone Lynnette left her room to find out if there was a way out of this place.

Once the dark hanyou went back into his study and sat down, he began to plot out what he planned for his guest. It was obvious that her powers rejected him. However, the power that she held was something he wanted to harness. An ability that was unlike that of a miko or a youkai was something much to be desired in this world and if it was able to be made even stronger, it was likely that his enemies could be rid of once and for all.

He sat in silence, thinking over all of the things he could do to possibly get use of her abilities. It was obvious that he couldn't get her to ally with him anytime soon. Not to mention, trying to getting her to trust him would take too much time he didn't have to waste. Threatening to kill her if she didn't cooperate with him didn't seem like a viable option either since the woman already appeared to be dying as it was, and, of course, absorbing a human into his body was definitely _out of the question_.

Naraku's down turned mouth of frustration turned upwards into an evil smirk when a plan ran across his mind. If he couldn't personally get the powers from her, he could certainly ensure that someone else would be able to do so.

Pleased with his idea, he began to plot away, trying to figure out the best way to set his plan in motion.

Lynnette returned to her room in disgust. Her hunch had been correct, there was no way out for someone who wasn't able to stand on her own two feet. True, she could get outside, but there was really nowhere to go. That evil miasma was everywhere, you weren't even free from it outside, it killed everything it touched. "Not how I want to die..." The redhead muttered.

After managing to get some food down, Lynnette went back outside. She found herself in the dying garden and had to bite her lower lip in dismay. "A lot like me isn't it, still looking mostly healthy, but dying inside unseen. Neither of us deserved this living death, but we couldn't control it could we?" She said softly to the dying plants.

Finally having a plan together, Naraku strode out of the room he was in and made his way down to the secret basement chamber. The dark room was often the perfect grounds for casting away unwanted parts of his body or recouping after a large battle. Reaching for a large yellow clay pot in the corner, he set it down in the middle of the floor before removing his layered haori, revealing a pale, lightly muscled chest. The bane of his existence, the spider scar of Onigumo, was still etched into his back. He smirked as he allowed parts of his body to disassemble itself and place themselves into the pot.

A thought crossed the man's mind as he continued this process. '_Soon, Lynnette... Your powers will be mine..._'

Meanwhile, ever since Lynnette was captured, Kagome had been pushing herself to the absolute limits. She rarely ate unless food was shoved into her hands and didn't sleep until she'd dropped from sheer exhaustion. The gang had never seen this kind of furious despair in their friend before, the happy laughing Kagome was gone completely.

Her friends were growing more concerned over the girl with each passing day. It seemed that when Kagome was upset, the entire group was brought down with her. Kagome was known as the optimistic one out of the bunch. If she wasn't smiling, the rest of her friends soon found themselves gloomy without her there to cheer them up.

One inu-hanyou in particular was very worried about Kagome. He had always wished for his group to have the ability to travel with little rest and breaks for food since he thought it wasted much of his time when they were looking for Shikon shards or Naraku. However, once they were _truly_ doing it, he discovered how stupid and insensitive he was for wishing such thoughts. Ever since Lynnette was gone, the spark and happiness that was holding the group together had ripped into shreds.

Studying the signpost and trying to decide which way to go. Her once sparkling lively brown eyes were dull and as lifeless as her voice as she spoke for the first time that day. "Well? Which way?"

"Kagome..." Inuyasha murmured in a soft voice, his gold eyes flashing with concern as he looked over at the woman. Stifling the urge to let out a sigh, he forced himself to grow a hard countenance. "...Naraku was heading South so we have to go this way," he announced to the rest of the group, pointing in the left side of the divided path.

For an answer, the young miko nodded in wordless thanks and started walking. Though it was a beautiful day, she didn't seem to notice or care, not even seeing all the blooming flowers made her smile.

The kitsune now finding a new familiar perch on Miroku's shoulder, heaved a small sigh. "...Kagome is going to end up getting sick if she keeps this up!" Shippou murmured under his breath.

Miroku shook his head, hearing the child's words. "I believe that even if she was sick, she'd keep forcing herself to travel until she knew that Lynnette-sama was safe. I don't think anything will be able to stop her by this point..."

"What will happen if Lynnette dies before we can get to her?" Shipphou asked softly. "Kagome will..." He gulped in terror at the thought.

The monk's expression grew stern. "...If Kagome-sama is this broken-hearted now, I do not think I want to imagine her in an even worse state," he answered back.

The hanyou's sensitive hearing picked up part of the conversation while he walked. He couldn't help but widen his eyes at the thought. The young man knew Kagome well enough to know that she'd surely blame herself for Lynnette's death since she advocated to bringing her to the Feudal Era in the first place. If Kagome was already this distraught, he knew that the grief would possibly cause her to lose her mind or kill herself, assuming that her miko powers didn't kill the rest of them first!

Sango walked beside the monk, holding Kirara and heaving her own sigh. She hated seeing her best friend so upset and knew that the bond Kagome had with Lynnette was stronger than all of the ties she had with their group. Even with Inuyasha being injured, the girl hadn't forgone proper nourishment in such a fashion! It was still hard to get over, considering that everyone in the group thought they had known mostly everything there was to be known about the miko.

Kirara whinnied softly, butting her head against Sango in a bid for comfort. Although she couldn't talk, it was clear that the cat-youkai was worried sick as well.

When they finally stopped for the night, Kagome mechanically tended to her abused feet without so much as a complaint. The soles of her feet looked raw and about ready to bleed.

Inuyasha was prepared to speak to the young woman when he tensed up in his seated position beside the fire. He bolted up in a second as a familiar scent entered his nose. '_Kikyou!_' he mentally gasped, the two slivering shinidaimachuu coming out of the dense forest and swimming around their campsite to be another confirmation of his thoughts.

Within a few moments, the undead miko walked out of the darkness, stopping in front of the group. Her cold brown eyes flickered over their surprised glances, but stopped once she caught the equally matched cold expression on her reincarnation's face. She knew that what she had heard was true the instant she saw Kagome. "...Inuyasha," she beckoned, not looking like she cared about anyone else in the area but him and her reincarnation.

The hanyou's expression softened as if due to a subtle, silent command from her voice. "...What are you here for?" he asked, crossing over the camp to get closer to his old lover.

For her part, Kagome ignored them both, focusing her exhaustion-dulled mind solely on the task of tending to her feet as best she could.

Instead of directly answer Inuyasha's question, Kikyou remarked, "I was visited by one of Naraku's incarnations earlier today. I was informed that he had captured one of the members of your group."

"Yeah... he did," Inuyasha murmured, his head bowing slightly and his mood growing more solemn.

The undead miko flashed her eyes over towards Kagome, thinking to herself as she did so. "...What does Naraku want with this person?" she questioned. "Naraku does not capture a person on a mere whim."

Miroku stepped forward, his thoughts being sparked by Kikyou's words. "So you also believe that Naraku wanted something out of Lynnette-sama?" he asked the miko.

"'Lynnette'?" Kikyou echoed, the foreign name sounding odd on her tongue. "I figured that it was a woman from what the wind sorceress told me. According to her, Naraku is quite taken by this 'Lynnette' woman."

Kiara meowed loudly and stalked over to Kikyou, the sound was part fury, part worry.

Inuyasha frowned at this news. "...I thought the only woman Naraku even remotely cared about was _you_," he remarked, looking at his ex-lover.

Kikyou was also a bit at odds with the new development as well. As she rolled the foreign name around in her mind, she came up with a sudden conclusion. "...Is this girl from Kagome's world?" she questioned.

Sango nodded, keeping an eye on Kagome, but nonetheless joining into the conversation. "Lynnette-sama is Kagome-chan's best friend from her time. It was Lynnette-sama's final request to come here and Kagome-chan honored it."

The undead miko took in the words, now getting a good idea of the situation. She couldn't help the small, cold smirk that formed on her lips. "The moment the Bone-Eater's Well allowed her through was the moment that her destiny in this world was chosen for her..." she spoke aloud.

Kikyou's eyes narrowed, inwardly shocked at Inuyasha's words. There was no reason for the jewel shards to glow brighter than usual unless...! Looking over at the younger miko, she demanded, "Does this Lynnette have any special priestess abilities?"

Kagome's eyes flickered. "Not that I know of Kikyou, at least, Lynnette's not a priestess in the way a normal Japanese priestess is trained." It was the longest speech Kagome had made all day.

The older miko nodded her head, now knowing exactly why Naraku had taken the woman. "She still has abilities latent in her that Naraku had obviously discovered on his own," she murmured aloud. "If he's gone out of his way to capture her, this woman's abilities are significant enough to be considered a threat." Her expression grew hardened. "This woman's powers are most likely either the secret to destroying Naraku or the cause of _our_ destruction if he is able to utilize her abilities."

An audible gasp was sent through the group at Kikyou's analysis. It made much more sense now and also shed more light onto how much danger Lynnette was in.

From where she was sitting, Kagome shot to her feet as if she'd been stung, then gasped in pain as fiery bolts shot up her bare feet. "No…" It wasn't clear if she was denying what Kikyou had said, or if in response to some internal thought of her own.

Kikyou cast an expression of curiosity towards Kagome, raising one elegant eyebrow. " 'No'?" she echoed, wondering what the younger miko meant. "Are you denying my words?"

"Why didn't she tell me? She never kept anything from me before." A tear slid down her face, almost as if no one else was present. Everyone could have fallen off the face of the earth and the young miko would have never noticed at all.

The undead miko's eyes narrowed, inspecting her reincarnation with a gaze of scrutiny. '_This woman... just who exactly is she?_' she asked herself, referring to Lynnette. '_I can sense a deep bond between her and Kagome... an even deeper bond than the one that ties her to Inuyasha..._'

Without saying another word, Kagome sat back down long enough to clean her feet off before shoving them into her shoes. "I'm going for a walk." She stated calmly, even though Kikyou could tell she was exhausted. As she walked away, the energy around the younger miko darkened with sorrow and pain.

Kikyou looked after the miko, easily sensing the woman's darkening aura. "Inuyasha!" she suddenly snapped, noticing how the hanyou looked after Kagome with a forlorn countenance.

The young man immediately glanced back at Kikyou, giving her his full attention.

The miko gave him a small frown, her face appearing stern. "You need to keep a closer eye on Kagome," she instructed him. "If her mood does not improve, it will be very susceptible to corruption."

Inuyasha's eyes widened slightly. "...A-are you serious?" he gasped, now more worried about Kagome than ever before.

"Do you see any need for me to lie to you?" Kikyou replied coldly. After she saw him shaking his head, she added, "Since she has half of my original soul, I know hers better than most. Whoever this 'Lynnette' is, she bears a very deep attachment to her and seems willing to give up everything in order to have her safe again." She didn't honestly know if she cared if something should happen to Kagome or not in the future, but didn't think it would help if Naraku found out and took advantage of the situation. "The longer it takes to find this girl, the more at risk Kagome will become."

"Corruption?" Sango asked. "From _Kagome_?" She sounded upset and a little angry. "No matter how bad things are, we are her friends too! She wouldn't hurt us!"

Kikyou shook her head. "...I wouldn't imagine that she would on her own," she remarked. "However, if one like _Naraku_ took advantage of her bond to this Lynnette woman, Kagome would be willing to do anything to get her back."

"...before Lynnette-sama passes away..." Miroku said thoughtfully. "I see where you are coming from Kikyou-sama..."

The miko managed a slow nod. Thinking to herself, she glanced at the group. "Why was this woman brought to this world?" she questioned.

Miroku coughed slightly. "Kagome seems to have brought Lynnette-sama here to die." He said quietly. "From watching them, I think Kagome was all Lynnette-sama had..."

"...'To die'?" Kikyou echoed, raising her eyebrow again. "So this woman has a type of illness or injury?"

"An illness that has no cure in their time." The monk confirmed. "They didn't seem to be looking for a cure here... but Kagome-sama was very forceful about bring her here so that Lynnette-sama wouldn't be alone, she threatened to stay in her own time unless Lynnette-sama came too."

The undead woman fell silent for a few moments, pondering over Miroku's words. "I see..." she trailed off, feeling troubled by Kagome's bond. She knew that at a moment's notice, if Lynnette were to be found dead or simply requested her reincarnation to help, the young girl would abandon her responsibilities in this world without hesitation. She knew that she was powerful enough in her own right, but she also knew that she would need a replacement if Naraku succeeded to kill her in the coming weeks.

"...Kikyou-sama... do you know something about Naraku's location that we don't?" Sango asked. "I don't think Kagome-chan can take much more of this… The last time we were in battle, her arrows exploded on contact..."

Kikyou shook her head. "Unfortunately, all I know of the situation is that Lynnette is being treated like some type of bride," she remarked. "Naraku has apparently set aside a separate, elegant chamber for her."

Miroku frowned. "That sounds both good and very bad..."

Shippou made a face. "A bride... like he's planning to actually..." He shot a nervous glance at the forest. "Kagome's _not_ going to like that..."

"At least we know that Naraku isn't planning to kill her if he has that type of interest in her..." Inuyasha murmured, his face scrunching up in what seemed to be disgust.

"There are worse things than death Inuyasha!" Sango snapped and Kirara puffed up hissing in rage.

The hanyou nearly jumped at Sango's tone. "Keh!" he snorted, trying to defend himself. "I know that! It's not like that means we're gonna slow down our search for her any time soon!"

Kikyou paid little attention to the pack's squabbling, pondering to herself how she would take action against Naraku. Perhaps she could find Lynnette on her own and see just what all of the fuss was about? She knew well enough that Naraku couldn't kill her without discarding his human heart so it wasn't as if she would be in that much danger.

When Kagome came limping back into camp, she ignored everyone and went directly to her sleeping roll. Taking off her shoes, Kikyou could see the bottom of the other woman's socks were stained with blood.

The undead miko knew that she certainly didn't want to deal with a tainted Kagome. Seeing Kagome's condition sickened her. Despite not caring about the girl's life when she was first brought back from the dead, she inwardly knew that Kagome was needed in the future course of events.

As if to underscore this, the young miko turned her back to everyone, and quickly fell asleep despite the noise she was clutching something in her hand. Even from that distance, the aura of whatever Kagome was holding was very different from both Kagome's and Kikyou's.

The older woman turned her back on the others, seeming to make up her mind. "...I shall take my leave, Inuyasha," she remarked before walking forward.

Kikyou's name fell from Inuyasha's lips, but the hanyou didn't dare stop her. He knew that with Kagome's condition, the younger woman required more watching over.

The miko didn't bother to look back at her reincarnation, but found herself troubled by the strange aura coming from Kagome. The sooner this problem was resolved, the better off everyone would be.

Several days later, Lynnette breathed though the pain in her legs as she knelt on the ground in front of some of the flowers in her garden. Her dirty hands were scratched up and bleeding slightly, but the girl was still smiling. "You are looking better today." She said softly to the flowers, touching one of them to bolster its strength with her own.

While Lynnette was busy with distracting herself, Naraku walked to the front of his castle when he felt a familiar disturbance outside of his barrier. Once he was outside and saw the figure standing on the other side of the transparent shield, he smirked. "...Well, well, well," he murmured. "Kikyou decided to pay me another visit of her own will..." Wanting to know what the "foolish" miko was up to, he opened the barrier to let her inside before closing it back up.

Kikyou's gaze hardened with her wall of ice around herself as she glared hatefully at her enemy. "Naraku, I know of who you hold captive here," she snapped, getting straight to the point.

Naraku let out a chuckle. "Of course," he replied in a tone full of amusement. "It wasn't as if I kept it a secret. Kagura went out to tell you, isn't that correct?"

"What are your intentions for that woman?" she demanded sharply. The grip on her bow tightened as she spoke.

Knowing how intelligent the undead woman was, he laughed again. "I believe you already know the answer to that, Kikyou," he responded.

Kikyou's eyes narrowed, already annoyed with the smug tone he used with her. "Where is she?" she asked.

Naraku sneered, growing curious as to what Kikyou was driving towards. "Do you wish to see her?" he pressed. "...Why the sudden interest in this woman?"

The miko's cold eyes sparked with a moment's irritation before she forced herself to calm down. "It is none of your concern," she answered.

Amused, the evil hanyou kept his smirk in place. "I would expect such an answer from you," he murmured.

Knowing that Naraku would continue to banter with her even more, Kikyou pulled out an arrow from her quiver and knocked it into place on her bow string, pulling back on it and aiming for the man's heart. "Take me to Lynnette," she ordered.

Naraku's smirk died, his lips turning into a small frown. He knew that the miko was not there to mess around and wasn't looking forward to piecing himself back together if she shot at him. "If you wish to see her so badly, I'll lead you to her," he finally said, turning around and beginning to walk around the side of the castle, leading Kikyou to the dying courtyard.

The redhead didn't look up from her work. Around the garden, the miasma was much thinner as the flowers fed on the silver power Lynnette was offering to drive it away. Wrinkling her nose, she frowned. "Don't you dare come in here Naraku; I don't want that stinky miasma in here after all my hard work cleaning it up!"

Naraku let out a small laugh, deciding to stay a good distance from Lynnette in order to humor her. "You have a visitor here to see you," he remarked, moving aside to allow Kikyou to step forward.

Lynnette looked up surprise- and hope- in her blue eyes, but that hope died when she saw a stranger standing there. "If you'll step between those two large bushes ma'am, you'll be able to enter without the miasma following you." The frail girl said politely, ignoring the dirt.

The hanyou decided to leave a saimyoushou behind to watch over their conversation before turning to leave.

Kikyou gave the girl a short nod before following her instructions and entering the garden. "You are the one called Lynnette, correct?" she questioned.

"Yes I am, and you are Kikyou?"

The miko gave a small nod. As if to prove her identity, she reached outside of the garden for a dying blue flower suffocating from miasma and touched the stem, instantly purifying the air around it and leaving it glowing bright.

Lynnette eyed the flower. "You almost gave it too much." She commented. "I just give them sparks, a little at a time."

Kikyou's cold facial expression softened slightly in the woman's presence. "So what type of human are you?" she asked, taking note that Lynnette seemed to know much about nature.

Lynnette sighed sadly. "I don't really know. I just made my own place in the world."

"I see..." the miko murmured, thinking to herself. "You already know of Naraku's interest in your abilities, I assume?"

"Yes." Her tone hardened. "But I'll die soon, so I don't think it matters... I just wish..."

The older woman raised her eyebrow. "Wish for what?"

"I wish Kagome was here... I miss her..."

Kikyou frowned at the mention of her reincarnation. "I've met with her and Inuyasha's group a few days ago. They were searching for you fervently, it seems."

The redhead's power blazed bright silver around her body, and her braid whipped around her face she moved so fast. "Is Kame all right? Is she hurt?" She demanded.

Kikyou easily figured out that the nickname was meant for the younger miko. The woman shook her head. "...Kagome seems to be willing to search for you until her death," she remarked. "Her feet looked very worn from excessive traveling and she looked as if she had barely eaten or slept for days."

Lynnette looked sad. "Darn it Inuyasha, I trusted you." She muttered, slamming a fist into the ground that caused the garden briefly glow with silver energy before she swayed and braced herself. "Oops, I lost it again..." She looked dizzy.

The miko's otherwise cold face flashed a rare moment of concern for the other woman. "...From what I could tell, it seemed like her friends were unable to convince her to do anything other than what she was doing. Her powers are going out of control..." Kikyou heaved a sigh. "If this continues, it will become easier for her to become tainted."

Lynnette looked faintly green and she swallowed. "I'd write a letter... I've already written a few, but I don't know how I'd get them to her without Naraku peeping."

"...If you wish to deliver a message, I will give it to her," Kikyou offered, doing it more for Kagome's sake and the sake for everyone else's future.

"Thank you..." She closed her eyes, but opened them when her pet saimyoushou buzzed in worry. "I'm okay; I just need a second..." Lynnette managed a smile.

The miko blinked, looking at the saimyoushou who seemed to be buzzing _happily_ when the other woman smiled. "You've befriended an insect of Naraku's?" she asked, her voice expressing shock.

Shaking her head slightly to clear it, she tapped her head lightly with a dirt-covered hand and the saimyoushou took its' accustomed place in her hair. Once settled, it began busily cleaning every last speck of dirt out of its mistress's hair. "He- at least, I think it's a he- likes my hair. From what I gathered. Naraku originally meant for him to be my watchbug, but the little guy chose to be my friend instead."

Kikyou still appeared perplexed by this information, but decided to put it out of her mind. There were much more important matters to attend to at the moment.

Recovered from her dizzy spell, Lynnette sat back on her knees, frowning. "Did you leave your friends outside ma'am?" she asked.

The undead miko nodded her head. "My shinidaimachuu wouldn't be able to survive in this level of miasma," she explained.

"That's very sad; I think they would have liked it in my garden..."

The miko found herself giving the younger girl a rare half-smile. "They probably would have," she remarked.

"Are they as beautiful as I've heard?" She asked.

"Who told you that they were beautiful?" Kikyou questioned with curiosity flavoring her voice.

"Kame did, she told me everything about the feudal era." Lynnette replied. "She made it sound so beautiful..."

The older miko found herself surprised by such a response. "I didn't know she thought they were beautiful..." she murmured. "Actually, I didn't think she liked them much at all considering what I had once made them do to her."

Lynnette smiled. "Kame told me many stories to provide a distraction for the pain..."

Kikyou nodded her head, her expression growing more serious. "I've heard that you've been living with an ongoing illness..." she admitted.

Lynnette nodded. "It comes and goes. This time is the final time though, the goddess willing, my pain will finally end soon... I'm very tired of fighting."

The older woman felt a measure of sadness towards the woman but didn't show it on her face. "It must be hard for you..." she murmured softly, remembering how during her times as a village miko, she always tended to the sick and dying and hated how they suffered.

"There isn't much of me left that is a woman now... but my heart still remains." For the first time, she faced Kikyou, knowing she looked more like a boy than a girl.

The miko looked over the young woman, now seeing the full extent of the damage that the cancer had caused her. Lynnette's small, thin frame was stripped of breasts and her skin was pale. Kikyou found herself frowning slightly, never seeing a disease that stripped a person of body parts.

"Each time the... illness struck, the only way to make sure it was gone was to remove the infected area. My breasts and my womanhood, but this time it wasn't caught in time, the illness spread too far nothing worked." Lynnette sighed. "I'm not afraid to die... I chose to come here for Kame's sake."

"Was it that Kagome wouldn't leave her world unless you came?" Kikyou guessed, thinking over Lynnette's explanation for the disease.

"That… and... I wanted to ease the shock of my passing. Give her some good memories so the pain wouldn't be so bad." The redhead frowned. "Though, I had an alterior motive. I wanted to meet the people she talked about, make sure they would care for her when I was gone. She's not very good at being left on her own, it might sound stupid but... I wanted to provide something for her."

The older woman nodded her head, seeing how much she had used to depend on Inuyasha. "...I've noticed something about her," Kikyou remarked. "I've always thought that Kagome had a strong bond to Inuyasha. A bond that was more solid than the one _I_ had with him..." She then looked straight into Lynnette's eyes before adding, "But it seems like the bond she has with you is much more stronger than any bond she's ever had here."

Biting her lower lip she nodded. "To her, I'm part teacher, part best friend, and part sister... we've known each other for many years."

"I see..." Kikyou murmured in thought.

"I love her very much... I don't want to hurt her anymore because of my pain." The words were simple, but the feeling behind them held a truth so deep it hurt in it's intensity.

The miko felt the power behind the words and nodded her head. The two remained in silence for a few moments more before Kikyou stifled a small sigh. "...I cannot stay here for much longer," she remarked. "If you wish for me to deliver a message, I must get it soon."

With a nod, Lynnette dragged herself to her waiting wheelchair and struggled to get to her feet. She whimpered softly in pain and her body trembled with the strain.

Kikyou walked over to the woman and offered Lynnette her hand. "I can help you if you would like," she offered, feeling the need to do so.

"Please... I don't think I'm strong enough right now..." She panted. "I didn't think I used up that much of my strength, which shows what I get for loosing my temper."

The miko was surprised at the level of fragility the younger woman was under. While thinking to herself, Kikyou grabbed onto Lynnette's wrist and carefully lifted the girl up enough so that she could sit in her wheelchair.

Lynnette was so thin that Kikyou could actually feel her heart beating against her. Slowly turning around, Lynnette took a seat, catching her breath. "Thank you very much ma'am. Would you like to come inside, or would you rather wait out here?"

"I'll wait here," Kikyou murmured, not feeling up to going into Naraku's castle.

"Very well." Ignoring her jerking legs, Lynnette rolled away. "You'll be safe in my garden Kikyou."

The miko nodded her head with slight gratitude. She knew that she could easily purify the air around her, but it was easier if someone had already done the work for her.

When the redhead returned, it was with a thick packet of letters in her lap. "Thank you again."

Kikyou took the letters and placed them into her outer layer of haori. She gave the woman a slight bow. "If something comes up, I'll try my best to get you the information," she remarked.

"I hope we'll meet again Kikyou." Lynnette sounded sad that her guest was leaving, although she didn't say so, the redhead must have been very lonely. Raising her hand to the level of her hair, she let the hell insect hop onto her wrist. "Please escort Kikyou to the barrier buzzing one."

The miko nodded her head. "Likewise, Lynnette," she replied before she allowed the saimyoushou to lead her to where an opening in the barrier was left for her.

Once the task it was given was complete, the saimyoushou buzzed uncertainly when Kikyou passed through as though waiting for instructions, or maybe just a thank you.

"I'm not accustomed to thanking the likes of you," Kikyou admitted, looking at the saimyoushou. "However, if you are willing to defend that woman, I won't have the need to destroy you."

Now it sounded amused, the insect made a kind of bow before returning to its mistress.

The miko turned around after the barrier closed behind her. Once she was a fair distance from the miasma-filled area, she mentally called upon her shinidaimachuu to begin following her once more. As she continued to walk, she thought back to Lynnette. '_That woman... she doesn't have much longer to live as long as she stays there..._'


	13. His 'blessing' or is it a curse

Once again, thank you to turtlequeen2 for all of your help with this chapter. This one took a while, but I hope that this one was worth the wait. Please remember to leave a review letting us know what you think!

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The shinidaimachuu clustered around Kikyou in their ever-twisting dance, but this time they practically wrapped themselves around her for comfort. '_Is she strong?_' They asked.

Kikyou thought to herself for a few minutes before nodding her head in response to her soul collectors' questioning.

_'She is pure. A true priestess. Her energy tells us much._' The one twined about her arm said. '_May we meet her?_'

"In due time," the undead woman murmured as they continued to walk forward.

They danced in happiness around the miko. '_Will you try learning from her? Or will you teach her?_'

"If there is ever free time, both could be an option," Kikyou admitted, finding interest in Lynnette's powers.

They were silent for several minutes. _'What do you think of her? Will she fall to Naraku?_'

A small, cold smirk crossed Kikyou's lips at such a question. "Naraku will have a very hard challenge on his hands. She doesn't seem very easily able to be tricked..."

'_Do you think she will die? Is there no way to save her?_'

At this, the miko's eyes grew soft. "...Though she had a very strong light within her, it continues to fade at an even pace..." she answered in a quiet tone.

The one twined around her right arm touched the packet of letters that Kikyou was carrying. '_We must free her Mistress, we must! She cannot die there in that darkness!_'

The miko resisted the urge to sigh at the insistence of her shinidaimachuu. 'How does this 'Lynnette' manage to connect so well with youkai?' she pondered to herself. "It seems that Lynnette was already set on death before she even came to this world..."

They tightened around her. '_Talk to your younger self._' One of them said. '_Use her teacher as the bridge._'

"Kagome...?" Kikyou questioned, looking over at the shinidaimachuu with a curious gaze.

'_She knows her teacher best. Learn what you can. Your younger self was her student as well as yours. Her teacher is your equal if not more. You said yourself that Naraku never does anything without a purpose, What if she sings to his soul the way you once sang to his body?_' It asked.

The miko frowned at the words. "...That would not bode well for anyone," she remarked. The undead woman thought over what her "pets" were saying. If Naraku fell in love with Lynnette then what did it mean for her? Wouldn't that put her at risk for getting killed by him since his only excuse to spare her was because of Onigumo's heart?

Meanwhile, Kagome soaked her aching feet in the cold water with a sigh. She finally washed up and let everyone rest early for a change. Her feet were starting to heal again, though they still hurt a great deal. 'Will Kikyou keep her word?' She wondered.

Soon after, almost as if to answer Kagome's thoughts, Kikyou appeared in the forest clearing, staring directly at Kagome as she began to pace forward. Without so much as a greeting, the older woman stopped in front of the younger miko and announced, "I have a few messages to give you."

Kagome jumped up, ignoring the fact that her feet were still in the water and held out her hand. "Thank you."

Kikyou reached her hand into her haori and pulled out several letters that Lynnette had given her. She gave a simple nod in response to her words before handing the messages into Kagome's waiting hand.

Taking the letters the young miko took a deep breath and resumed her seat on the ground, ignoring Kikyou _completely_ as she started to read the letters Lynnette had written her. With every minute, Kagome's aura grew brighter and stronger as her faith in her friend was renewed and deepened.

The older miko sensed Kagome's aura growing as she looked over the letter. She didn't seem to mind that the younger woman was ignoring her as she waited for her to finish reading.

Finally, Kagome put the packet down. "Thank you for bringing this."

Kikyou nodded her head again. "I did not do this for just you, however," she admitted. It wasn't usual for the woman to do anything for her reincarnation out of pure kindness.

"I knew that already." Kagome replied, pulling her feet out of the cold water and pulling on her socks and shoes.

The undead miko paused, allowing for her shinidaimachuu to fly away from her. Once she looked around, she noticed that Kagome was by herself. "Where are the others?" she asked.

"Sleeping by now. They are near by." She replied, standing as though to leave.

Kikyou let out a small "ah" as a sign of understanding. For once, she had no business with Inuyasha so there was no reason for her to bother him. The woman glanced down at Kagome's damaged feet before looking back into her reincarnation's eyes. "You knew the risks involved with bringing Lynnette here, did you not?" she questioned, not meaning to sound as harsh as she did. "You could have easily found some type of treatment and took it back to her instead of risking her life even more than what was already done to her in terms of that illness. What made you so determined to bring her here? Loyalty? Love?"

"Both. I'm all she has left in the world Kikyou." Kagome's eyes hardened. "There is no cure for cancer; we both knew that before we came. I didn't want to continue looking for the jewel shards only to go home one day and discover that Lynnette had died."

The older miko stood in silence; taking in all of her reincarnation had to say. She knew that it was believable due to how her aura reacted every time news of Lynnette came time. Kagome had a very strong bond with Lynnette and if that woman died, the younger miko's soul would shatter.

"I made her a promise the last time she was in the hospital. I looked into her pain-glazed eyes and swore that she wouldn't die alone. There is no way I'm going to break that promise to her, and not even Naraku is going to stop me from keeping my word to her!"

Kikyou nodded her head. "I understand, Kagome," she finally murmured, her tone holding a firmness that was different than the type she usually used toward the younger woman. The firmness in her voice almost sounded _familial _to Kagome. "...As long as my life is not in direct danger while being around Naraku, I will not mind delivering messages for you two," she explained.

Swallowing hard, Kagome nodded. "Thank you. Did she look okay when you saw her?"

"Better than I expected," Kikyou admitted. "For such a dark place, she seems to be making the best of the environment." She thought back to how Lynnette was tending to the garden of dying flowers as she spoke. "She even managed to befriend a saimyoushou."

"Say _what_?" The young miko's mouth dropped open. "Lynnette hates bugs and snakes!"

The undead miko would have smirked in amusement if the situation weren't so serious. "It seems that the creature was taken to her red hair," she explained. "Apparently, it wanted to become her hair decoration..."

Kagome shook her head. "I wish I could send Kirara to her... I'd feel safer that way. That bug can kill her..."

Kikyou nearly shrugged at Kagome's reply. "I'm well aware of that, but it seems that she's easily able to gain the trust of anything related to nature," she murmured. "Even my own shinidaimachuu were taken to her spirit without even having to meet her."

"She loves to garden. Likes to grow her own food too." The younger miko admitted. "Lynnette always said it relaxed her and cleared her mind."

The undead miko nodded her head. "She was gardening when I met her," she explained. "She managed to bring dead shouki-laden flowers back to life."

"She does have a green thumb, I suck at that though, Lynnette has more patience than I do."

Kikyou stood in place, noticing how happy Kagome sounded when she spoke of Lynnette. "...However, Kagome," she began, growing more serious. "There is something you must know."

She frowned. "What is it Kikyou?"

"Lynnette is not getting any better," the older miko murmured. "Even though her light is strong, it is gradually fading." She shook her head at the thought. "Also, I suspect that Naraku is up to something cunning in order to use her powers..."

Kagome nodded, though she looked slightly upset. "I know, Lynnette told me. Are you going to visit her again soon?"

"There is something else you must know as well," Kikyou added, her gaze hardening as she spoke. "...When I spoke to her of your current condition, she grew _very_ upset. It was enough to make her powers spike to near dangerous levels."

"Oh crap... I'm gonna get hell when I see her, I just know it. She's gonna verbally kick my ass." Kagome started to pace. "I'd better write her a _long_ letter..."

"I will be sure to deliver it if you're able to write it within the night," the older miko promised, deciding not to comment on Kagome's comments to herself.

With a preoccupied nod, Kagome walked quickly back towards camp, her lips moving soundlessly as she started to compose her own letter in her head. Her aura was steady and strong now that she knew her friend was all right.

Kikyou felt part of her original soul calm when she realized the brightening pulse of Kagome's aura. Not wanting to deal with the others in the younger miko's group, she took to sitting on a nearby boulder, allowing her shinidaimachuu to return if they so chose.

Her two favorites perched on her arms. '_Would you lead them to the silver one?_' They asked.

It took a few moments for Kikyou to conclude that her creatures were referring to Lynnette. 'The silver one?' she thought with a bemused tone. "...I will point them in the right direction, but will not lead them directly," she murmured. "If Naraku knew I were to do so, he'd move to a new location and make sure to hide himself from me as well."

Her shinidaimachuu seemed to approve of this. '_You might become good friends with the silver one. She'll be very lonely even with all the insects around mistress._' They hated Naraku's insects.

"You really believe so?" Kikyou questioned with a small smirk of amusement. The thought of her having a "friend" was one she hadn't really humored since her death.

'_She is a priestess of a different sort, Naraku wanted her for a reason._' they pointed out. '_Besides, aren't you curious as to who trained her and how if there are no Priestesses in your younger self's time?_'

The undead woman nodded her head. "It would be interesting to find out..." She admitted quietly.

Kagome came back an hour later carrying the heavy black bag in both hands. "I'm back Kikyou." Her arms strained as she stopped in front of the older priestess and put the bag down.

Kikyou rose to her feet, staring down at Kagome's bag with a raised eyebrow. Why did she get the feeling that with every package she'd deliver, it'd continue getting heavier?

"This has all Lynnette's things: clothes, medicines and her writing supplies. She'll need these. My letter is in there too." Kagome explained. "I think it would make her feel better if she had her own things so she wasn't relying on Naraku for everything."

The older miko glanced over at her shinidaimachuu, wondering if they would have the ability to carry such items over long distances. She didn't know if she had the ability to carry the bag to Naraku's castle since Kagome seemed to struggle by just holding it for several minutes. "Very well then," she replied, after looking back at her reincarnation.

Kagome smiled sheepishly. "It might sound stupid to you Kikyou, but my teacher is very proud and she doesn't like asking people for help more than she absolutely has to. Anything that makes her a little stronger, even if it's not by much..."

"I see..." Kikyou noted to herself, still not taking hold of the bag that was placed at her feet. Though, part of herself couldn't help but be relieved at seeing Kagome smile like Inuyasha had always described her as doing at some of the times they had spoken to each other.

"We take care of each other; her happiness is my happiness too."

The older miko took in Kagome's words with understanding, knowing that with the younger woman's bond with Lynnette being strong, the words were true.

"I separated her things into different bags, just in case your shinidaimachuu couldn't carry it all in one bag." Kagome added. "I tried to be as helpful as I could."

"It's fine," Kikyou assured the young woman. "It seems that my shinidaimachuu are comfortable with helping Lynnette."

Kagome grinned and shook her head in wonder. "Lynnette always has a way of making friends with the strangest of people..."

Back in the miasma-filled lair, Naraku stared down at the open jar he had prepared a while beforehand. The mass of flesh now thrived with life, pulsing as if it were its own heart. The evil hanyou smirked, pleased with his handiwork, moving to place his hand over the creation. "...Don't worry..." he murmured, speaking to the flesh like it had a mind of its own. "...You'll be complete soon..."

The evil man took a few minutes to re-absorb the unfinished product into his hand before walking to the steps that led to the room above the basement. He would have honestly waited until later to commence his plan if not for Kikyou's sudden interference. He wasn't willing to give the miko the chance to ruin his plans. After ascending the steps, Naraku made sure his kimono was in order before making his way down to Lynnette's chambers and waiting for the woman to open her door.

Judging from the sounds, Lynnette was busy washing her hands. "Oh? All right then." Naraku heard her say in response to something he couldn't hear. A minute later, the redhead opened the door. "Good afternoon Naraku, or is it evening now?"

"I suppose it would be 'evening' since the sun went down a while ago..." Naraku murmured in a humble tone. "I was wondering if you were like to join me for dinner since you haven't had any food since yesterday afternoon?"

Lynnette's gaze turned inward as she thought, mentally flipping through the day's events. "I must have forgotten... again. Thank you for reminding me."

Naraku gave the woman a short nod of his head. "If you feel more secure with my saimyoushou around, I won't mind them joining us," he mentioned, backing out of the way so that she could move out of the room.

For an answer, her 'pet' saimyoushou perched on the handle of her wheelchair, which made Lynnette smile briefly, as she followed Naraku. "Is there any way to tell them apart?" The redhead asked.

"Some have subtle difference from others in terms of appearance," the hanyou explained. "One may have an extra stripe or one may buzz more incessantly than another."

Lynnette nodded. "I see." She smiled at her own again. "I'll have to find you some playmates..."

Naraku glanced down at the insect, not able to help the human emotion of envy, knowing that Lynnette cared more about his creations than him.

The redhead followed Naraku. "I didn't know you had a formal dining chamber."

Once they were moving through the hallways, Naraku decided to respond. "This castle has anything you would think a formal castle would have in Japan. However, the features not used very often due to obvious reasons..."

"Understandable." She replied, rolling into the room after her 'host' opened the door.

Naraku led Lynnette to a long table that had been propped up so that the woman wouldn't have to leave the comfort of her wheelchair. On the table, a wide array of traditional Japanese food was presented as if it was a feast set for a queen. "I wasn't sure what you ate normally so I had an assortment of food prepared," he explained.

It took Lynnette two tries to make her eyes go back to their normal size. "Thank you very much Naraku."

The dark hanyou let out a small chuckle, amused by the reaction he had received from the flabbergasted woman. Perhaps he should have done this a lot sooner just for the entertainment value!

An anxious sharp buzz seemed to snap her out of this shock. "Shush, shush... I'm okay." Lynnette said, letting the insect perch on her hand.

Naraku raised his eyebrow slightly, never before hearing such a sharp buzz from one of his insects. It wasn't a surprise that he could understand what the saimyoushou was trying to convey, but the fact that it was doing it at all surprised him.

The redhead patiently stroked the insect with her other and spoke quietly in a soothing voice until it quieted. Only when she was sure her 'pet' was relaxed did she allow the saimyoushou to perch on her shoulder again and return her attention to Naraku as she took her seat with a quiet dignity.

Amused, the evil hanyou eyed the young woman with a glimmer of fascination. How was it that she could quiet his own creations with ease? After he saw her make herself comfortable, or at least as comfortable as one could get in Naraku's presence, he began inwardly scheming his next move.

If Lynnette was nervous, she seemed determined not to show this to Naraku. Instead, she picked up her chopsticks and chose one of the sweet egg rolls. Taking a bite, she smiled as she chewed. "Wonderful! You have a very talented cook." She exclaimed after she swallowed and took another bite.

"I'm glad that you think so," Naraku hummed, trying to be as civil as he could be while silently plotting in his mind. It was as if the calm expression he wore now was a costume mask hiding the true evil.

Lynnette's face brightened as she continued to eat, though it should be noted that she ate like a bird, she did try a little bit of everything so the food wouldn't go to waste.

The dark hanyou observed his guest very closely, noting that when it came to expressing her enjoyment of any one thing, she was unashamed of doing so. That also seemed to have no exception to who she did it in front of. While the young woman continued to be distracted by the food, Naraku discreetly placed his "creation" into an empty bowl near to her by merely using his mind. He mentally chuckled, observing the now still piece of flesh. It was nestled on a pile of rice, looking like a cut of foreign fish.

After swallowing a mouthful, she looked at Naraku. "You aren't eating, am I that amusing?" The redhead idly took a sip of water as she spoke.

After realizing that he had invited her to have a _mutual _dinner, Naraku thought up an excuse quickly. "I just haven't seen you this animated in my presence," he murmured before reaching for the bowl of rice that was sat before him and taking a small bite of the food.

"With everything considered, I'm taking my small pleasures while I can. Funny how dying can make someone sit up and pay attention to the simple things that we take for granted every day." Lynnette replied, picking up her chopsticks again and contemplating the dish that contained Nakaku's 'surprise'. "Oh boy… this kind again? Let me guess, can't chew the meat right?"

Naraku shook his head as if confirming her assumption. "No, it wouldn't be best," he replied. It wouldn't serve him much use if she chewed his creation into bits. Of course, it could have reformed within her body, but it would just waste energy that it couldn't afford to waste at this initial stage of "life."

The redhead sighed, and then regarded the 'meat' again. "I was afraid you'd say that…" Still thinking, she absently chewed on some rice before taking another drink. Finally, the young woman steeled herself and picked up the meat. "Looks small enough…" Before she could talk herself out of it, she put it in her mouth and swallowed hard, choking and gagging slightly.

Gleefully the evil hanyou sharply bit the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from smirking as he watched the lump of meat make its way down her throat and into her body. It was too soon to enjoy his victory. Keeping up his facade, Naraku was able to make himself look a bit panicked when she began to choke. "Are you all right?" he questioned, sounding slightly worried.

For a few minutes, Lynnette did not answer, and she kept her eyes closed. She took slow deep breaths even as she raised her left hand to provide a calming perch for the anxious insect buzzing round her head. When she spoke again, she sounded slightly hoarse. "Next time I'm chewing. That did not go down well."

Naraku nodded his head, taking her words even though he wasn't paying much attention to their meaning. Her words no longer mattered to him for the rest of the night. He had won. Though, despite this, it was still too soon to enjoy the fruits of his labor. He could feel the pulsing of his creation as it tried to find something to grasp onto in order to begin maturing.

After dinner, Lynnette looked slightly ill and pale as she backed up away from the table. "Thank you for the wonderful meal. I'm going to get some air before I retire for the night." She said quietly.

The dark hanyou made no move to stop her. "Very well, then," he murmured, saying it as if to dismiss her from his sight. He saw the pale expression on her face and inwardly smirked. He knew that his "baby" was making itself known in Lynnette's body as they spoke.

Without another word, she left the room and once out of his sight she fled down the hall to race outside. Only when she was safe in her garden did she take a deep breath and pet the insect that landed in her lap. "I think that the last piece of meat was bad but I'd hate to have to throw up…"

As soon as Lynnette was out of sight, the sneer that wanted to be made finally lined Naraku's lips. A dark chuckle escaped his throat when he felt the creature find a "cozy" spot nestling onto a mass of Lynnette's flesh.

"Ah, now the _fun _begins..." Naraku laughed.

"_What are you planning to do now?_" The chief of his insects asked. "_Are you going to make her into your breeding queen?_"

"Perhaps..." Naraku murmured, beginning to walk forward. He was being led to Lynnette's suffering body like a man being called by a siren. He knew that by this point in time, the woman would have begun to feel her body change.

In the garden, Lynnette hissed between her teeth in agony. She had left the garden to vomit twice, but it didn't seem to help any. "Damnit. I _knew_ I shouldn't have waited…" The redhead struggled not to scream as the agony burned through her body. "What in the name of the Goddess is going on?"

Within minutes, Naraku appeared across from Lynnette, the amusement clearly shimmering in his eyes at the prospect of succeeding in his plans. "Don't worry too much, Lynnette," he purred. "The pain will only be for a few more moments..."

The redhead was shaking with agony, choking off a scream with her hand. "Why are you doing this?" She managed to get out.

To this question, Naraku's smirk grew even wider. "That's a rather stupid question to ask, don't you think?" he returned. "I'm certain that you already knew of my interest in your powers..."

"Killing me is not the way to do it…" She swayed and leaned forward, trying not to puke.

Before the young woman had the chance to stagger forward, the evil hanyou moved to block her fall with his strong arms. Holding her upright, Naraku kept his amused expression in place. "You won't die from this. I'll assure you that much," he murmured.

Her world spinning, Lynnette finally couldn't take the pain any longer and fainted in his grasp. You could almost feel her powers trying desperately to cast this _thing_ out of her body before she died from it.

The dark man didn't bother to frown, knowing that it was to be expected from a human to pass out due to too much pain. Deciding that this was the perfect opportunity to add power to his creation, he picked her up within his arms after making sure to touch her stomach; the place where the "child" lay in waiting. Knowing that Lynnette needed to rest, he then began to carry her back to her room, eventually setting the woman onto her bed.

When the redhead regained consciousness, she discovered that her head was resting in his lap and the evil hanyou was gently stroking her hair. "Huh…" She murmured, shifting her weight.

Naraku's eyes peered down on the woman's face as she awoke. "I trust that your violent convulsions have subsided for the time being?" he questioned, knowing that by now, his creation had found a place to settle within Lynnette's body.

"Seems to, yes. But I still don't understand what your reason are for doing this." Lynnette frowned up at him.

The evil hanyou couldn't help but smirk at her innocent response. "I've already told you the reason why I did this," he replied. "Your power." His eyes glimmered with amusement as he added, "Perhaps, the question you should be asking is _what _I have done to you..."

"I'm sure you'll get around to telling me sooner or later." The redhead replied, starting to push herself up away from him. Her hand went to her belly. "Whatever you did, it doesn't appear to have worked."

Naraku let out a laugh at her words. "On the contrary, my dear," he murmured. "It's working _perfectly_..."

"What makes you think that I can't just cast it out of me?" Lynnette sounded angry as her eyes flashed in temper.

"I don't think you'd want to try something that drastic..." the older man chuckled. "That would cost you your life..."

"I don't see how, it's not a part of me." She said calmly. "It's just a matter of energies."

"I suppose you can expel your illness in the same way then?" Naraku questioned with a raised eyebrow. He knew that whatever threats she threw at him, she wouldn't win so easily.

"No, that was a different matter." She replied quietly. "Are you finished gloating now?" Lynnette sat beside him on the bed, but refused to look at him.

"No, not quite..." Naraku murmured, his smirk spreading into a sadistic grin. "I suppose a _congratulations_ is in order for you..."

"What do you mean by that?" She snapped, looking that him in surprise.

"Hmm...." the hanyou trailed off, feigning thought. "How should I put this?" After pausing for a few seconds, he stated with his smile back into place, "You will become a _mother_ soon."

The redhead was silent, completely stunned. However, looking into her eyes, you could almost _see_ what Naraku had said finally hit home…

"SAY _WHAT?!_"


	14. When it rains, it pours

Author's note: Thank you to Turtlequeen2 for all of her help with the chapter. We are sorry for the long wait and we hope that everyone has a happy new year! Thank you to all our fans for sticking with us, and a special thanks to i_hate_your_boyfriend for reviewing every chapter and pointing out our errors. We hope you will contine to help us improve!

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In her garden again, Lynnette breathed slowly in and out as she tended her flowers. She was drawing strength and peace from the land that she'd cleansed. It had been a week since Naraku had played his nasty trick on her, a week of continually trying and failing to cast out the vile thing within her. Although she could feel it there, Lynnette couldn't seem to get it to dislodge. _'Damnit, this really stinks...' _The redhead sighed softly.

It was at this moment that Kikyou again made her presence known. "...I have returned with a message from Kagome," she announced, calmly walking into the garden while trying not to inwardly shiver at feeling Lynnette's continually fading energy.

"Kikyou!" Her face lit up in greeting as she spun around. "Did you get in okay?"

The undead miko managed to give the young woman a small smile, nodding her head. "Your powers seemed to be a bit of help to me aside from managing to get past Naraku," she commented.

"I bribed some of my pet's friends to let you in," Lynnette confessed.

Kikyou frowned slightly. "The saimyoushou, correct?" she questioned, wondering how many were listening in on their conversation.

"Yes." The younger woman looked tired as she scrubbed her dirt-covered hands over her face. "It's so dark here..."

The miko nodded her head. "I've noticed," she noted. She knew that the shouki played a major park in causing the atmosphere to be so thick with toxic air and darkness. Reaching into her white haori, she pulled out the parchment and held it out for Lynnette to take. After a moment, Kikyou seemed to remember something and humor briefly danced in her dark eyes. Reaching behind her, she picked up a rather large yellow bag from the ground she put it and then held it out for Lynnette to receive. "Kagome claims that you need these things," she explained.

Lynnette's smile grew even brighter. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Taking the bag from the miko, Lynnette set it down at her side and opened up the letter that Kagome had written to read it.

Kikyou gave a subtle nod, showing Lynnette that she was welcome without verbally speaking it herself.

After a few minutes, the redhead sighed. "I... I see..." Lynnette shook her head.

"Would you mind telling me what she has written to you?" the miko questioned, raising a thin eyebrow. The expression painted on Lynnette's face was enough to get her curious.

Putting the letter back in the envelope, the younger woman picked up the heavy bag again and opened a small pocket on the side. Lynnette didn't look happy as she pulled something out and opened her hand to reveal the small glass jar that held two jewel shards inside resting in the palm.

Kikyou's eyes narrowed immediately. "...What does she intend for you to do with those shards?" she demanded, feeling that it was her business to know since she did her own part in handling the Shikon no Tama.

"She said they were for my protection." Lynnette was frowning at the glowing shards in her palm.

The miko's eyes noticed the pure hue of the shards glowing bright in the woman's hand. Despite Lynnette not being a miko, her own powers had given the jewel its own bright pink glow of purity, making Kikyou realize that if the girl wanted to, she could easily replace Kagome or herself at purifying shards. "I'm assuming that since Naraku has no intention of letting you go and holds some type of interest in you, he'd have little benefit from taking the shards away from you..." she murmured, figuring out Kagome's reasoning on her own.

"I think so. I'll figure out something later..." Lynnette sighed, resting the jar in her lap. Seconds later, she suddenly hissed in pain and pressed her hand against her stomach. "Ouch..."

Kikyou's face paled ever so slightly as she began to piece things together within her mind. Earlier when Naraku first let her by, his facial expression was more smug than ever. As she looked at Lynnette, she could feel a familiar dark energy radiating out of the woman but could not quite figure out what it specifically was until she felt the black energy pulse like a heartbeat against Lynnette's pure aura. "...Naraku did this, didn't he?" she snapped, wondering if there was any way she could ease the woman's pain. "I can tell he placed something inside of your body."

"I'm carrying his child, or so he told me. How he did it, I don't know, because those parts were removed a while back!" Her face broke out in a sweat as she spoke through clenched teeth. "I think he hopes I'll die giving birth to his spawn!"

If the miko were alive, she surely would have gotten nauseated just thinking about being in a similar situation. "He's planning to make an incarnation with your powers, isn't he?" Kikyou pressed, her words becoming more quiet as her brown eyes blazed with anger while her facial expression displayed pity for the woman.

"That… that... would be my guess..." Lynnette's checks were turning green, and with a strangled noise, the woman quickly dropped the jar on top of her bag to roll fast out of the cleansed area to puke forcefully.

Kikyou picked up the jar, making sure to keep the shards pure as she waited for the girl to get back. Despite how full of life the small garden was, the shouki around it would quickly corrode the pieces of the jewel without anyone around to keep them safe. _'What will Kagome do once she finds out?' _she questioned to herself.

Lynnette looked disgusted with herself when she returned. "Must have been a temper tantrum..." She muttered. "Sorry about that, Kikyou..."

"Here," the miko murmured, handing the shards back. "Please keep these with you at all times or else they will easily become corrupted in this toxic area," she advised.

"As long as they are in this space and I am nearby, the shards will be safe." Lynnette promised. "I'll make sure these get back to Kagome before I die."

"All right," Kikyou replied, feeling as if she could trust the woman's word. "Do you have anything to deliver back to Kagome?" she then asked.

For an answer, the redhead bridged herself slightly and pulled out a packet of paper that she had been sitting on. "It seemed like the safest place today." She explained as she gave the packet to the older miko.

The undead woman gingerly took the packet and tucked it under her outer haori. "Is your condition in this letter or shall I tell her myself?" she questioned, knowing that they both expected the younger miko to go off the wall when she found out.

"No, I won't tell her. She has enough to worry about." Lynnette sighed. "I've tried and failed to cast this thing out of my body, but it won't budge."

Kikyou's eyes narrowed yet again. "Assuming that she will see you before this _thing_ is cast out of you..." she trailed off, the word "thing" getting its own bitterness attached to it. "...She will surely notice that something is wrong with your body aside from your ailment."

"I'll explain it when I see her. There are some things that can only be explained in person Kikyou." The redhead sighed. "I won't deny I wanted a child but... not like this..."

The older woman's glare faded away like the blending of cream into black coffee. Letting out a soft sigh, Kikyou remarked, "I will keep it a secret for the time being if you truly want it."

"Please do. Kagome is upset as it is, I don't want to make things worse." Lynnette's voice sounded firm even as her hand moved towards her belly again in annoyance.

Kikyou turned her gaze towards the shinidaimachuu wavering outside of the shouki barrier. "...Do you think your 'pets' could do something important for me?" she asked.

Lynnette raised her eyebrow. "Such as?"

"I suppose my idea could be called a _connection_ between us," Kikyou explained, furrowing her eyebrows as she tried to articulate her idea. "I will leave behind one of my most trusted shinidaimachuu to serve you. Since it cannot go inside of Naraku's barrier without dying, your saimyoushou will have to go out and deliver any message if your condition ever worsens significantly. In which case, the shinidaimachuu will immediately contact me so I can either tell your friend or come back and visit."

For a moment, Lynnette brightened and the tiredness vanished from her face before she took herself in hand again. "Will your shinidaimachuu be all right in my garden?" The redhead sounded concerned. "I would welcome the company but I don't want someone else getting hurt because of me.

Kikyou shook her head. "It will still have to go through the shouki to get into the garden and get back out," she explained. "The moment it comes in contact with it, the shouki will become its death. It's too much of a risk to take."

Lynnette sighed. "I can just send my pet to you. Naraku can't protest that. Your shinidaimachuu should stay with you."

The miko resisted the urge to shrug. "If you insist..." she murmured, knowing that somehow, the one soul collector who suggested the idea to her would be the one that was most disappointed.

"I would love to meet them though..." She brightened again after a minute of thought. "I'll come with you, meet them and come back."

"Will Naraku allow that?" Kikyou pondered with a raised eyebrow.

Lynnette shrugged sadly. "He'll set his insects on me, but mostly he'll count on the 'baby' to bring me back..."

The miko nodded her head, knowing that, somehow, Naraku would bring her back even if she did try to escape. She inwardly frowned, disliking the flickering of happy emotion floating across Lynnette's face. Despite it being better than constantly looking upset, it was more unnerving than any stable countenance. "Let us go, then..." She added, beginning to lead the woman out of the path that Naraku had created for her within the barrier.

Humming softly, the redhead almost looked happy as she followed Kikyou. Once they left her garden, the 'pet' saimyoushou landed on Lynnette's head, buzzing nervously in a questioning fashion. "It's okay, Buzzer. I'm coming back, and we are just going for a walk." Kikyou heard her say to her pet soothingly.

Kikyou paused in her walk, turning around to witness the strange sight of a _solemn_ hell insect. It was odd to see that a creature of Naraku could look so distressed due to being away from a girl. Rotating herself and beginning to walk again, Kikyou continued going a few feet away from the outside of the barrier before welcoming the warm flow of her soul collectors as they swirled around the pair.

For several minutes the woman just sat there with her eyes closed, ignoring everything except for gulping in clean air as her aura briefly flared in renewed strength. "Thank you, thank you, thank you... I can _breathe_ again..."

The miko sighed slightly. "Taking in shouki is the worst thing for any pure spirit to do," she noted.

"I felt smothered in there. The garden is better, but the first time I tried to sleep outside he pitched a fit..." Lynnette sighed and opened her eyes. "They are so beautiful Kikyou..."

A faint smile crossed the dead woman's lips as she watched them glide in the air around them like ghostly candlelights. "I suppose they are..." she hummed.

Lynnette held out her hand, letting a shinidaimachuu perch in her palm. "Hello there... I'm sorry I don't speak your language."

The shinidaimachuu in her hand coiled around her arm in content. "_She's pretty... her energy is like silver fire..._" It said to Kikyou. "_Are we keeping her?_"

Kikyou shook her head. "Unfortunately, she is not yet freed," she murmured to the creature despite knowing Lynnette could hear her as she spoke.

Another coiled around the redhead's neck. "_The badness in her... how strong is it?_"

"Very strong," the miko answered. "And being in such a horrible environment serves to make her even more vulnerable to whatever Naraku does to her."

"_Can she turn it? Make it so that it isn't angry at her?_" They asked.

"If she were to remain out here, there is a chance, but so long as she's kept in Naraku's castle, there isn't as much hope..." the woman answered.

Lynnette stayed silent, gently petting them tentatively, feeling relaxed and at ease for the first time in a long time.

It wasn't long before Lynnette's calm was shattered when a familiar evil laugh was heard. "I take it that Kikyou-_sama_ is taking time to bond with Lynnette?" Naraku taunted, making sure to mock the miko's title as he stepped into view.

Lynnette made a startled sound as all the shinidaimachuu tightened protectively around her, glaring hatefully at Naraku. "What is it, Naraku?" She asked.

"I became worried about the carrier of the child I'm creating..." Naraku murmured with a smirk, knowing that truthfully, he was only there to keep a personal eye on the woman.

The redhead shuddered. "She offered to show me a path that I could travel by myself so that I could get some exercise."

Kikyou glared spitefully at her nemesis, wanting nothing more than to aim an arrow at his head. Though, knowing how much danger Lynnette was in, she knew it wasn't worth the risk at the moment.

Her pet saimyoushou buzzed sharply at Naraku for upsetting his mistress.

"You should be careful..." Naraku practically purred, not taking heed to any of the negative feelings put against him. "I wouldn't want a youkai to hurt you if you're out here alone..."

"I doubt there are any so close to your territory, Naraku!" Lynnette sounded annoyed, then flinched in pain as the child pulsed, causing the shinidaimachuu to flee back to their mistress in alarm.

"You'd be surprised..." Naraku murmured. "There's more than a few reasons I put a barrier up around my lands."

"What? You mean the stench isn't enough to dive them out?" The redhead retorted sarcastically before flinching again. "Stop that in there!" Lynnette suddenly commanded, sounding as if she were reprimanding an ill-behaved child.

Kikyou's usual coldness returned with great force as she continued glowering at Naraku. "I hope you don't mind me accompanying Lynnette when you escort her back," she stated, wanting to make sure the evil hanyou didn't try anything to harm her.

Naraku smirked, clearly amused by Kikyou's newly developed protective nature. "Since when have you become so protective of another person, Kikyou?" he taunted. "The last person I remember you ever protecting is Inuyasha."

The miko's right hand twitched, just itching to grab an arrow. "Ensuring her life is not for my sake alone. It is essential to everyone who stands against you," she stated firmly.

"Interesting..." the dark hanyou trailed off.

"Naraku, stop that right now! It's _my_ child, too, don't forget." The redhead's voice was sharp with anger, ignoring the painful pulsing racking her body. "I'm the one carrying it, after all."

The dark hanyou paced over to Lynnette and reached his hand out to stroke her hair much like a lover would do. Smirking, he calmly murmured, "Of course I wouldn't forget that you were the mother of _our_ child..."

Kikyou grit her teeth, feeling disgust towards the scene in front of her.

"It sounded like you did," Lynnette accused. "It also sounded like you were taking all the credit, when I'm the one doing the hard work!" The redhead was trying to make him slip.

Referring to Lynnette's last sentence, Naraku remarked, "I know... It's the reason why I'm trying to ensure your _good_ health..."

From the expression on Lynnette's face, she didn't believe him at all and started to move away from the dark hanyou only to double over in agony.

Kikyou's hand reached for her arrow but didn't pull it out. It was at this moment that she knew what Naraku's intent was. He didn't intend to stop with this one child. He wanted her to stay with him until death.

The evil hanyou stood up, noticing how Kikyou's hand was positioned. "Is there something wrong, Kikyou?" he asked, unable to stop himself.

The miko's hand dropped hesitantly from her arrow while her knuckles grew white from the hardening grip on her bow. "You are despicable, Naraku..." she growled.

_"Kill him! Save the Silver One Mistress!" _Her shinidaimachuu cried.

As much as Kikyou wanted to listen to her shinidaimachuu, she knew that it was too much of a risk to take. With Naraku so close to Lynnette, she knew it was as risky as feeding a human carcass to a pack of demons and hoping they wouldn't attack her as well. The last thing she needed was to report that Lynnette was in even more trouble due to her temper.

"Kikyou...?" Lynnette questioned, her blue-gray eyes concerned. "I'm okay now... for the moment anyway..."

Naraku's eyes flashed amusement as he looked upon the angered miko. While Lynnette didn't attempt to glance up at his face, he showed Kikyou an overconfident grin; a face that showed a certainty of victory.

Without thinking about it, Kikyou's free hand clenched into a fist in rage, clearly seeing his expression before returning her gaze to the younger woman.

Frowning now, she shook off Naraku's hand and rolled over to Kikyou, allowing herself to be swarmed by the miko's shinidaimachuu. "It's okay, Kikyou. There is a reason for everything..." The redhead tried to comfort Kikyou in a quiet voice.

The older woman's fists slowly began to unclench as she continued to watch Lynnette's actions. As she watched the soul collectors dance around the girl, Kikyou idly wondered if Lynnette was really a priestess in disguise.

"Believe me; I'm sure I can handle things. Thank you for showing me this pathway. I feel better knowing there is another clean space I can get to." The younger woman said this quietly so Naraku couldn't hear, or so she thought.

Despite hearing her words due to his demonic levels of hearing, Naraku decided not to react to it. He knew that due to her conditions, she wouldn't have the means to escape without dying.

Kikyou gave a subtle nod but now wanted to get as far away as Naraku as she could before she went back on her logical train of thought and attempted to kill the man again.

Giving Kikyou's companions one last caress before returning to Naraku's side, Buzzer landed in her lap with a possessive buzz.

"Are you finished with your 'break' out here?" Naraku asked, wondering if Lynnette would defy him again.

"Coming!" the young woman huffed, beginning to push her chair through the grass behind him at a leisurely pace. She was in no hurry to leave the fresh air.

The dark hanyou inwardly frowned, noticing her slower than normal speed. He knew that if he wanted these next few months to go over more smoothly, he'd have to gain her trust eventually.

Even though Kikyou originally wanted to follow them to ensure Lynnette's safety, she stayed behind, watching their disappearing backs due to wanting to prevent making the poor woman find herself in more danger.

-----

It was nighttime for the Inuyasha-tachi and everyone had finished setting up camp as par usual. Kagome, once more, was very reluctant to rest, but was soon coaxed into it due to pleads from her friends in order to keep her health in check.

As usual, the younger miko pretended to obey, but as each of them dropped off, she calmly slid out of her sleeping bag to head to the stream. She couldn't sleep until she knew that Kikyou wasn't going to show that night.

A familiar ominous demonic aura floated through her senses, compelling her to look across the narrow stream. She noticed the unique set of features of cold golden eyes and long, flowing silver hair that shimmered from the reflection of moonlight in the water. Wind rustled through the trees, blowing the daiyoukai's hair about and ruffling his white mokomoko-sama and regal hakama and haori.

For a moment, Kagome's eyes lit up, shinning with hope. However, that light quickly died when she saw who it was. "Hello, Sesshoumaru..." Her voice was neutral, even though she wasn't happy.

Sesshoumaru's facial markings blended well with his icy expression. He obviously was not interested in seeing the miko, but paused for a moment, noticing that the human's tone was much different than the usual annoying shriek or happy chatter. However, he wasn't around to care about some human wench whom he never interacted with save for to attempt to kill when she got in his way during battle. So, being his usual cold self, he chose to ignore her acknowledgement to his presence.

Meanwhile back in camp, which was just a few meters away, the half-sleeping hanyou's ears and nose twitched when a familiar scent caught his attention. His amber eyes snapped open while the grip on Tessaiga's scabbard set against his body tightened as he immediately jumped off the tree branch he rested in. Quickly placing the scabbard back into place in his sash, he ran towards to stream and stopped beside Kagome, letting out a threatening growl as he glared at the youkai he thought to be his enemy. "What the hell are you doing here, Sesshoumaru?" he snapped.

A small glimmer of amusement briefly danced across Sesshoumaru's eyes as he remarked, "I'm here discuss a few matters with you, little brother."

Uncharacteristically, Kagome shifted slightly on the rock she was perched on and completely ignored them. Her solemn eyes trained once again on the forest, her body tense with waiting.

Inuyasha placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, just waiting for the excuse to pull it out on his brother. "Like what?" he demanded, skeptical of anything Sesshoumaru wanted to "discuss." He momentarily cast a glance at Kagome's odd reaction, but found himself not as surprised as he should have been since the woman had been acting out of character for a while.

Sesshoumaru's only hand didn't go near either of the swords placed against his hip. "I'm not interested in fighting you _at the moment_," he began. "Though, I _am_ interested in knowing about a woman I was informed of a day ago."

The hanyou let out another snarl, his hand never leaving the hilt of his sword. "Why?"

Kagome twitched, but that was the only reaction she gave to what Sesshoumaru said.

When Sesshoumaru gave no reply, Inuyasha demanded, "How did you even find out about that?"

"I have my sources," the daiyoukai answered in a simple tone, obviously not willing to divulge who told him.

Kagome started looking disappointed, and she sighed while shaking her head sadly.

Soon, the ever familiar messenger appeared with her shinidaimachuu. She managed to get around the stream and approached Kagome with a calm expression on her face.

Kagome was on her feet in a second. "Kikyou!" She called, quickly getting off the rock and heading towards the other miko, joy once again lighting her countenance. "Another letter?"

Kikyou pulled out the letter handed to her by Lynnette and gave it to her reincarnation. "Here," she replied, inwardly admitting that she felt more at ease seeing the girl looking happy.

"Thank you very much, Kikyou." Kagome took the message and walked back the rock so that she could sit down, using the light of the shinidaimachuu to read by.

The undead miko managed a subtle nod, only then, turning around to watch the exchange between the two brothers.

Inuyasha took a different approach to interrogating his older sibling. Finally taking his hand off of his sword, the hanyou asked, "Have you seen her?"

The daiyoukai would have rolled his eyes if he had the emotional capabilities to do so. "Even if I had seen a human woman, I wouldn't know it was her unless Naraku was standing beside her," he remarked. "You've most likely seen Naraku more than I have as of late."

The hanyou was surprised his brother had admitted his bad luck streak in tracking their common enemy but decided not to bother him about it. "Why are you suddenly interested in a human?" he snapped, finding it odd that Sesshoumaru had any interest in Lynnette at all.

Kagome's head snapped up and her body tensed up as her eyes grew hard. However, the younger miko remained silent, _willing_ Sesshoumaru to tell them everything he might know.

Sesshoumaru idly saw Kagome's reaction out of the corner of his eye but didn't bother to acknowledge it. "I personally find no interest in this woman," he admitted. "However, I _am_ perplexed at the supposed power she wields and why Naraku desires them so much since he had previously mentioned that he had no interest in absorbing human abilities into his body."

Kagome jerked slightly as though she'd been shot, gritting her teeth to avoid speaking.

Inuyasha fell silent for a moment, recalling how in a previous battle against Naraku, the evil hanyou mentioned that absorbing humans・and hanyou for that matter・would only make him weaker. "...You're _right_..." he murmured, his eyes widening in realization. "Why _would_ Naraku attempt to claim her abilities if they could make him weaker?"

Kikyou grit her teeth, knowing Naraku's exact methods and how power extraction was possible without harm to himself, but knew she could not say due to promising Lynnette.

"He... he _might_ be trying to turn her," Kagome said quietly, her face white as she tried to swallow her fear. "According to Lynn, he's treating her well and trying to spoil her."

"'Turn her'?" Inuyasha echoed, looking over at Kagome with a raised eyebrow.

"Try to form a bond with her so that she'd side with him," The future miko explained even though she frowned in distaste. "I can't think of any other reason he'd be so accommodating to her…"

"He wants her trust, to put it simply," Kikyou added, confirming Kagome's thoughts.

Kagome nodded. "He better be prepared to wait a _long _time."

The older woman's eyes hardened. "I don't believe he has any plans of releasing her any time soon, so I think he _is_ prepared to wait," she commented.

Looking sad again, Kagome sighed. "She's strong, she'll fight him."

The daiyoukai's eyes narrowed in thought as he idly listened to the group's conversation. "How strong are her abilities?" he demanded, knowing that one of them would answer.

The younger miko shrugged. "It's hard to measure these things, but I know she could flatten me if she really wanted to do so. Coming here made her stronger I think."

Kikyou withheld a sigh at that explanation, knowing fully well how powerful Lynnette's abilities were from firsthand experience.

Sesshoumaru didn't find himself feeling threatened by the miko's explanation, but now understood why Naraku was interested in her. "In such a situation if the woman is already ill, wouldn't it be best if she lost her life before Naraku purged her powers from her?" he coldly remarked, not thinking about anyone's feelings as he said them.

Inuyasha's eyes immediately narrowed at his brother. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" he snapped.

Stabbing her nails into skin until her palms bled, Kagome turned her back on Sesshoumaru, her posture rigid with rage.

The daiyoukai could sense Kagome's aura spiking by scent alone, but didn't show any reaction to it. "Isn't it evident enough already?" he snorted. "If the woman's abilities are as dangerous as everyone seems to claim, he'll become nearly unstoppable with both the Shikon no Tama and her powers in his possession."

The hanyou let an irritable snarl slip from his throat, growing angry that Sesshoumaru was causing Kagome to become upset. "Did you come here to die, bastard?" he growled, moving his hand back over his sword.

Sesshoumaru was growing annoyed at everyone's uneasiness. "Why grow upset over an obvious observation?" he scoffed. "Are you going to stand there and deny that Naraku wouldn't be a threat if he had those abilities?"

Kagome finally snapped. Without even a pause, she leapt up and snatched the other priestess's bow and arrow. Her energy flared like the fire dancing in her eyes, a living pink flame that flowed like water down her arms and into the arrow. When she launched it, it looked like a mini fireball aimed directly at Seeshoumaru's heart・if he had one.

The daiyoukai's senses were alert, reaching up with his claws to grip the arrow before it could break apart his armor like she had done in a previous battle. Using poison that gathered at his claws, Sesshoumaru easily dissolved the arrow with the green mist before letting out a snarl in warning. Despite how it looked as if the weapon had no affect on him, the daiyoukai was mildly surprised to find an annoying sting left behind from touching it.

Both Kikyou and Inuyasha gasped in shock, noticing that despite the subtle expression of irritation on Sesshoumaru's face, they could tell that the arrow had enough power to purify the surface of the skin on his hand.

Sesshoumaru let out another growl. "Try it again and I will not hesitate to kill you, miko," he threatened.

Inuyasha immediately jumped between the two. "Keh!" he snorted, pulling out Tessaiga and allowing it to transform into its fanged form. "You'll have to go through me first!"

Kikyou glanced over at Kagome, noticing that the aura around her glowed not like that of a usual miko. Instead, the hue reflected more closely to Lynnette's own power. _'It seems apparent that Lynnette _did _teach her some things...' _she mentally noted.

Kagome didn't say a word, still prepared to kill.

The daiyoukai's eyes narrowed, tempted to battle his brother just for getting in his way, but resisted the urge. Sending one last glare at Kagome, he turned his back on the small group. Before beginning to walk away, he stated, "Regardless of the miko's frailty, the sooner you lot realize the reality, the less trouble there will be come the final confrontation."

Inuyasha's eye twitched before sheathing his sword and turning around to glare at Kagome. Due to his concern over her well-being, he couldn't help but become irritated at her recklessness. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" he demanded. "If I wasn't here, you would have been dead already! You know you can't defeat Sesshoumaru!"

The fire in Kagome's eyes begged to differ, her hand tightening on her bow while her energy flared again.

Kikyou noticed the spark of deadly power coursing through her reincarnation's body and shot a cold glare at Inuyasha that could have easily rivaled his brother's. Before the hanyou could say another word, she hissed, "Inuyasha! Silence!"

Inuyasha was taken aback at Kikyou's sharp tone, immediately shutting his mouth as he stared at her with wide eyes.

"Are you dense, Inuyasha?" the older woman snapped, mentally sending her shinidaimachuu around the young miko in order to calm Kagome's flaming temper. "She's already unstable enough as it is. The last thing she needs from you is a lecture about life and death." Heaving a sigh to calm her own self, she added, "At the state Kagome is currently in, it will not take much for her to lash out at _anyone_, including _you_."

The hanyou couldn't help the small gulp he made, looking between the women. Would Kagome truly be capable of harming him?

Kagome was calming down, her eyes closed as she let the other miko's bow fall from her hand. She took deep breaths, murmuring something softly in another language.

Kikyou could see Kagome's aura beginning to even back out, knowing that she was no longer as dangerous. "Kagome..." she called after a few moments, wanting the woman's attention.

When Kagome opened her eyes, she was back to normal as she picked up Kikyou's bow and returned it to her. "Sorry about that."

The older woman shook her head, knowing that Kagome couldn't particularly help herself in such a situation caused by her condition. "I was only going to say that unless you have something for me to give back to Lynnette, I shall be taking my leave."

Kagome reached into the pocket of her pajamas and pulled out a very thick letter. "Did she look okay?"

Kikyou took the letter and slipped it into her outer haori. She stifled another sigh, shaking her head. She saw no point in lying to the miko. "Her condition is not improving if that is what you are referring to."

Pain flashed in Kagome's eyes and she sighed. "Is she eating, at least? Getting enough sleep?"

"I could only assume," Kikyou answered, never seeing Lynnette in any other place but the garden. She paused in thought, recalling an earlier incident. "...Though, I _did_ show her a pathway out of Naraku's barrier so that she can breath fresh air when she needs it."

Seeming a bit relived, the younger miko nodded. "Thank you."

The undead woman gave a subtle nod in return. Calling her shinidaimachuu back towards her side, she took a step back from her reincarnation. "I shall return once I get word from her," she informed Kagome. Casting a look over at the still-shocked Inuyasha, her eyes flashed in warning. "As for _you_, I would advise not to test Kagome's temper any time soon."

"R-right..." Inuyasha murmured almost timidly, sounding completely unlike himself.

Once Kikyou left, Kagome fell to her knees and sighed. "Wow... Teacher, I don't know if you were watching but... you weren't kidding about that punch were you...?"

The hanyou's eyebrow raised, not even sure if he wanted to try to ask what the young woman meant by those words.

After a few deep breaths, the woman picked up the letter and stood up to head back to camp. "Let's go. Tomorrow, we'll be on the move again."

Inuyasha's gruff tone returned as he replied, "Right." He inwardly groaned, knowing that the next day would bring another long day of endless traveling and more complaining from his other companions.


	15. Visiting family, a change of hearts

Author's note: Thanks to turtlequeen2 for all of her help with this chapter and I'm sorry that the wait was so long! I've been having problems getting things to upload and having laptop troubles. Please enjoy the chapter and remember to review!

* * *

In her queenly bed, the mother of his child tossed and turned in her sleep. Lynnette twisted around trying to get comfortable. Her long, red braid mussed from the movement. She frowned and looked to be in extreme pain. The woman was just starting to show; the "child" really seemed to be at home in her body and was growing rapidly.

However, Lynnette wasn't alone in her room. Crimson eyes glanced down at the woman, watching over her sleeping form as thoughts raced through his mind. Did he intend to make her suffer during the entire duration of the "pregnancy"? He idly wondered how much joy that would give him. Upon figuring out that it wouldn't give him much satisfaction, the dark hanyou frowned, deciding to approach Lynnette's bedside.

The pulse of greeting from his child made her curl into a ball and whimper. Turning over again, she nearly roused herself. "Don't make me get up again," she muttered in a quiet command. "If I try to sleep outside again..." The woman left her last words hanging, not preferring to think about such an alternative.

A frown marred Naraku's face as he remembered when he thought she had escaped his grasp the day before. He sent out saimyoushou to search for her only to find that she had only went to sleep in the area of fresh air that Kikyou had showed her.

Getting on her hands and knees, she hissed. "Okay, okay, we'll go outside," she began, acting as if she were taking a dog out to do its business. "Just let me get dressed… You are taking the blame this time, not me."

Naraku watched as she woke up, idly noting how the pain she experienced enabled her to ignore him being nearby.

Still half asleep, Lynnette got back into her chair and took off her nightgown to dress. After struggling into her regular clothing, a thick dark green sweater and black jeans, she muttered irritably as she rubbed her eyes and turned to the door to leave.

A thought crossed Naraku's mind as his eyes watched her dress. How could he get her to give into him? Once he had thought about Kikyou, he had realized something he knew he could do what would most likely make Lynnette happy.

Opening the door, she looked both ways and sighed. "Coast is clear; maybe I can actually get some sleep without his yelling waking me up..." She rolled quickly and smoothly down the hall. "Won't bother with shoes... he'll freak..."

The evil hanyou turned away from where Lynnette left and exited the woman's room. Mentally calling upon Lynnette's most trusted creature in the area, he told the saimyoushou, "Buzzer," to deliver his idea to the young woman.

'_She's not sleeping again,_' it buzzed. '_Can't sleep unless she's outside._'

"Which is precisely why I want you to tell her this," Naraku murmured, already figuring out that much on his own.

'_What is it, Master?_'

"With Kagura as her watch, I will allow Lynnette to go see her friends tomorrow morning," the man informed the saimyoushou.

The insect buzzed nervously. '_How would that happen? Mistress needs her chair,'_ it pointed out as if it were her representative. '_Why make the Wind Witch watch her? She can't run away._'

"It can't be trusted that Inuyasha and his lot will try to use the situation to their advantage," Naraku explained.

'_If she isn't returned, wouldn't the child be upset and make her return?_' Buzzer asked. '_They will let her go if she is hurting._'

The dark hanyou withheld a sigh. Must he explain _everything_ to his creations? "Who else would be able to take her to and forth? You can't very well expect her to take herself to them."

Buzzer dipped down. _'Mistress won't like it. She'll think it is a trap._' The insect hovered over his arm. '_The Wind Witch has no love for her._'

"I think she'll choose the option if it's the only chance she'll get to see them," Naraku pointed out, sounding certain of his words.

Still unhappy, Buzzer made as though to leave. '_I will tell her._'

After the saimyoushou left, another frown crossed Naraku's face. Thanks to the insect's concerns, he began to grow worried about her safety due to the child in her body. Getting fed up with his thoughts, he decided to follow behind his handiwork.

The predawn air was chilly as the insect buzzed its way to its mistress. Upon seeing Lynnette fast asleep under a tree on the cold hard ground, Buzzer perched in her vacant chair and watched her sleep. It was amusing to note that it was trying very hard to become quiet and let her sleep.

Naraku remained silent as he paced over towards where Lynnette was sleeping. Pulling out a baboon pelt he usually made his golems wear, he put it over her body as he sat down beside her. Unable to resist the temptation, he pulled her head into her lap.

Lynnette shifted, frowning slightly and burrowing under the warmth the pelt. The redhead felt ice cold despite the thickness of her clothing.

Buzzer moved at the same time, trying not to make any noise.

The older man frowned, seeing how she shivered. Noticing the cold patch under her body, Naraku tucked the pelt in underneath her. It was then that he paused. '_Since when did I care about her comfort?' _he silently pondered to himself_._ Nevertheless, he decided not to dwell upon it.

When Lynnette woke up a few hours later after sunrise, she froze, feeling her hair being stroked gently. The redhead wondered if the pelt was a possession of Naraku's. "Is it that late?" She asked, trying to stay calm while also being surprised that she wasn't in agony.

Naraku carefully pulled her into his arms, not wanting her to rush getting up. "You should go back to sleep..." he suggested, knowing that the child was being dormant for the first time in a while. Naraku already knew that his creation was only being quiet because they were so close together.

"You can't blame me this time," she said sleepily, blinking her eyes, trying to wake up.

He withheld a sigh and nodded. "I know," he admitted, his voice as soothing as honey.

The redhead still looked unwilling to go back to sleep until Buzzer flew over and landed on her chest, buzzing softly. It wasn't "speech" as Naraku was used to, but Lynnette apparently understood because she fell back asleep without protest.

Naraku scowled slightly at how the simplest thing the saimyoushou did caused the woman to fall back asleep rather than his words. Something within him longed for such power over her.

When Lynnette awoke again a few hours later, she wiggled enough to free her left arm and held out her fragile hand. Buzzer dropped her glasses into it and hovered until her world sprang back into focus. It then landed on her chest again to be petted, buzzing loudly in its content. "Buzzer says you wanted something," the redhead remarked as she stroked the insect's head with a finger.

"I'm granting you the chance to see Inuyasha's group," Naraku murmured, not bothering to move until she wanted to get off of him.

Lynnette narrowed her eyes. "You're letting me go?" She sounded doubtful of his words.

"Not permanently," the dark hanyou admitted bluntly.

"How long?" The redhead asked, cutting to the chase.

"A day," Naraku replied. "Two, at the most."

Lynnette sighed. "I can't exactly run away, you know," she pointed out.

The older man nodded his head. "I'm aware of that," he assured her. "The longer you're gone, the more our child will act up so it would be best if you didn't stay out too long."

"Why did I have a feeling that was the reason…?" Lynnette sighed. "Babies usually don't play matchmaker..."

"With that said, you can choose the day you wish to leave," he added.

"Let me get up and get packed. Kikyou should be there by now too." Lynnette then hissed suddenly, glaring down at her abdomen. "Yes, we are going to see my friends and I am your mother. Don't you _dare_ give me orders!" she snapped to the bulge where her stomach should have been.

Naraku stood up once the woman removed herself from him. Deciding to be helpful, he pushed the chair closer to her so she could have less trouble putting herself into it.

Lynnette managed to get inside her chair, hissing in pain as the "child" threw a temper tantrum the whole time. "I think I'm going to get a sharp knife. You are getting too big in there," she muttered fiercely, grateful for the extra sleep.

Naraku was only mildly alarmed at her threat, knowing it wouldn't be that easy to cut out the creature left inside of her. He decided to walk alongside her as she went along, wanting the thing in her to hurt as little as possible while he was around.

Lynnette's lips were pressed tightly together, but she didn't completely double over. "You think I won't?" She asked, continuing to threaten the creature within her.

Soon enough, Naraku and Lynnette were back within the barrier with Buzzer in tow. Once the woman was within her room packing up her things, Kagura appeared at in her doorway beside Naraku.

The wind sorceress let out a lazy sigh, annoyed that she would have to be the woman's mode of transport. Was delivering messages and transporting people around all she was good for? "I've been made to take you to Inuyasha's lot," she explained, not at all attempting to hide her irritation.

"I'm sorry to be a bother," Lynnette replied with a nod of thanks. "Will my wheelchair be in your way or should I leave it here?"

"I should be able to carry it," Kagura murmured, knowing what her feathers were capable of lifting. Outwardly, she gave no reaction to the woman's kindness. Inwardly, however, the woman surprised at how polite Lynnette sounded despite everything Naraku had put her through since her appearance.

Lynnette picked up the single bag of her things. "I travel lightly, don't worry Kagura."

"That's good to know," the wind witch replied with another sigh. It was obvious that she wanted no part in this situation. "Are you ready?"

"Yes I am. Let's go before Naraku changes his mind." Lynnette smiled at Kagura before speeding to the door.

The female incarnation pulled a small feather out of her hair once they were outside of the castle walls. She then threw it up in a flourish, producing a giant floating plume in an instant. Using control of the wind around it with her hand, she lowered the feather and instructed, "You can get onto it before we set off."

Lynnette eyed it for a minute before rolling onto the feather and shifting the bag on her lap. "Is this all right?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Kagura replied as she shifted to the front of the giant feather. "I'm going to warn you now," she then began. "I travel by wind so it's not a slow ride."

The older woman looked very nervous and not at all comforted. "I hope I don't fall off..."

"I'll make sure you won't fall off," the wind sorceress assured her. "My own life is at risk here."

Lynnette smiled. "Thank you, I won't scream, promise."

"I'd hope not," Kagura admitted, tossing back a small smirk at her. "That might make me tempted to drop you," she replied. With that said, she concentrated her energy on making the feather ascend into the sky. It only took seconds before they were flying out of Naraku's territory and towards the location of the group.

Lynnette squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth together. True to her word, however, she did not scream.

The incarnation glanced back at Lynnette to check on her condition and noticed the woman's eyes were closed. "You can open your eyes now, you know," she pointed out. Now that they were gliding on the currents of the wind, it felt more like they were floating through air with no sort of bump or hitch in the process.

"I'm not overly fond of heights, but I wanted out of there!" Lynnette declared, relaxing only slightly in the incarnation's presence.

Kagura couldn't help but snicker. "You don't think I'm glad to be out of that hell hole?" she replied. "Even though I'm used to that air, I still hate it."

"I can't breathe in there; it's like I'm drowning even though there's no water. However, when I try to go to a clean place I'm stopped by the child..."

"Naraku's a cruel bastard, isn't he?" the wind witch sighed.

"I'll never eat meat again, that's for sure..." Lynnette grumbled, her voice tinged with bitterness. "I should have known better, but I was hungry for once."

"...I don't even want to know..." The other woman murmured, knowing the details of as to how the creature got into Lynnette would disturb her.

Lynnette took a deep breath, tightening her grip on her bag. "No, you don't."

---------

Meanwhile, Inuyasha and the others were traveling as they usually did, but stopped when the hanyou caught a familiar scent. "Kagura..." he growled, already growing defensive. However, he then paused, his eyes widening when another distinct scent wafted into his nose. "Lynnette's with her!"

Kagome stopped dead in her tracks. "Sango! Kirara! How far?!"

"I don't think you need to go far, Kagome," Inuyasha replied. "They're coming towards us now."

True to his word, the wind immediately picked up around them, signaling Kagura's arrival. Within moments, the feather lowered to the ground, revealing the two in question.

Lynnette's cheeks were green, and she rolled off the feather quickly. "Kame!" She cried, rolling towards them.

Kagome's eyes widened, feeling her heart pound against her chest as she rushed towards her closest friend. "Lynn!" she shouted. Everyone else around her was completely gone from her mind as tears began to overwhelm her vision and blur her sight.

The redhead put the breaks on and held Kagome tight. "I don't have much time Kame, but it's all right." She said softly, ignoring the pain from the other girl's returned embrace.

"I've missed you so much!" the miko cried, feeling relief upon seeing the girl alive. The two remained in the same position for a while until Kagome finally pulled apart the hug. It was then that she had remembered how sensitive the girl's body could be and cringed. "...Did I hurt you?" she murmured as she wiped her eyes with her sailor fuku sleeve.

"It's not important, Kame. I've missed you too, I'm glad you are okay." Lynnette's voice was gentle.

"I've been worried sick about you," Kagome admitted. "If not for Kikyou's kindness... I probably would have torn all of my hair out by now!"

"I know... I know. We have a lot to talk about..."

"We do," the miko agreed with a sigh. Looking back at Kagura, she noticed how the woman hadn't left. "...I'm guessing you're not here to stay..."

"I'm only here for a day or two, but I'll hold out as long as I can. I promise." Lynnette looked sad. "Kagome... I don't know how to say this but..." With a sigh, Lynnette took Kagome's hand and placed it on her growing baby belly.

Kagome frowned, noticing the lump as soon as Lynnette pointed it out to her. She knew that something was wrong immediately. "What did he do to you?" she demanded, her aura already spiking.

The redhead ground her teeth in pain. "I'm pregnant, Kagome. Naraku did _something_ to me... I don't know what or how but..."

The miko's eyes widened as wide as plate saucers. It as if someone had told her she had flunked the ninth grade and asked her to repeat it over. "...H-how...?!" she gasped. All coherent thought left her mind as she tried to absorb the new problem that entered her head.

"I think he used the cancer and gave it a life of its own, it's the only thing I can think of," Lynnette admitted, thinking out loud.

Kagome felt anger slowly begin to develop within her. "That bastard..." she growled.

"I'm not sure, but I think I'm about three months along already," she said softly, letting go of Kagome's hand.

"So, is this his way of taking your powers for his own?" Kagome pressed, trying to make sense of the situation. She couldn't believe that this was happening to her friend!

'That would be my guess." Lynnette sighed. "I don't know it that's everything or if he has a dual purpose."

Kagome closed her eyes for a few moments, letting out a deep breath in order to calm her flaring powers. "So...we need to figure out something in order to prevent him from having his way…" she murmured. Pausing, she looked back at Kagura. "So you're planning to stay the entire time?"

Kagura nearly rolled her eyes. "Yeah, is there a problem with that, miko?" she replied sarcastically.

"Kagura, you don't have to stay the whole time. If he yells at you, tell him I countermanded his order. He can yell at me later," Lynnette remarked, not wanting the woman to stay there against her will.

The wind sorceress shrugged. "I don't really care where I am as long as I'm away from that place."

Lynnette ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "Just calm down, Kagome..."

The miko let out another deep breath. "I'm trying, but it's a bit hard to do when you find out that your friend got pregnant by everyone's enemy."

"It wasn't my idea, trust me," Lynnette muttered grimly. "I don't eat meat anymore; let's just put it that way and leave it at that."

Kagome couldn't help but cringe at whatever must have happened to Lynnette. She didn't want to imagine it. "...Well... either way, do you want to speak to the others?" she asked, finally deciding to pay them notice. "They've been worried about you, too."

"Yes. I wanted to tell you first. Should I tell the others? I don't want Inuyasha to explode..."

"...Well... I think his nose would notice something strange even if you don't tell him..." Kagome pointed out in a honest tone.

The redhead sighed. "You're right, but... I won't say anything unless he asks. Right now I just want to be with my friends and breathe air that doesn't stink and be on ground that isn't sludge..."

The miko gave a nod of her head. Due to the circumstances Lynnette had suffered through, it was understandable that she wanted to relax when she had to chance to. Turning towards the others, she gave them the first smile they had seen from her in weeks. It looked almost foreign to see on a face it used to line so often beforehand. "We should set up camp here!" she suggested, knowing that they wouldn't argue against it.

Lynnette smiled hesitantly at the others, uncertain of her welcome. "If that's all right with everyone. If you'd like to find a better place, I understand. This is something that everyone has a say in, not just Kagome."

Inuyasha was the first to step forward, already trying his best not to show his disgust at the scent of Naraku ebbing off of Lynnette's body. "Are you sure you're up to traveling?" he asked with a snort. "You look ready to pass out at any time."

Ignoring the anger that began to pulse within, she glared at the hanyou. "I'm not dead yet, Inuyasha, I still have some oomph left in me." As she spoke, she clenched her jaw slightly then laid a hand on her belly in a vain attempt to calm the child down.

Kagome shook her head at Inuyasha's words. "Though... Are you sure you can with...?" she trailed off, looking directly into her teacher's eyes and implying she was thinking about the child within her.

"I'm fine, I've been looking forward to spending time with all of you and I'm _not_ going to let _this_ stop me," Lynnette answered firmly.

Knowing how determined her friend could be, Kagome nodded her head. Looking back at the others, she questioned, "How about we move closer to a river?" She knew that it would have been best if there were some place for bathing.

Sango stepped closer to the other women and nodded her head. "I think that would be a great idea, Kagome-chan!" she chirped, honestly glad to see her friend acting more normal.

Lynnette glanced back over at Kagura. "I can send Buzzer to find you when it's time to go. I'm safe now."

Kagura let out a sigh, bringing out her closed fan to trap against her shoulder out of habit. "Sure, whatever you want," she remarked in a bored tone, giving up on the idea of staying with the Inuyasha-tachi all the time she was free from Naraku's castle. She had much better things she could do with such precious time anyways.

Buzzer landed on her hand, buzzing his wings softly and received a caress on the head as a reward. "Yes, Buzzer, I know. I have faith in you, don't panic," the redhead said in response.

---------

Back in Naraku's lair, Kanna's face remained expressionless as she continued to show her master the events of the day. Her legs were cramping, but Naraku still had not given any order to stop. Ever since Lynnette had left the castle, he watched her obsessively through the mirror as though he thought that by watching over her that alone could keep her safe.

Once Naraku had noticed that Kagura was leaving Lynnette's side, it took all of his willpower not to pull out the wind witch's heart and squeeze down on it until it burst. The woman really seemed more and more useless to him with each new failed task. However, for some reason, the failure to stay with Lynnette made him more angered than usual towards her. Perhaps it was his added paranoia for the priestess's safety and the fact that Kagura leaving would make her more vulnerable?

In the mirror, Lynnette appeared to glow with joy as she laughed with Kagome and Sango. Miroku was currently pushing her chair, and Inuyasha seemed to be keeping a very close eye on the monk to make sure he kept his impulses under control. Kirara and Buzzer had an uneasy truce in Lynnette's lap.

What made him want to give Lynnette the time to spend with her friends again? Naraku asked himself this as he continued to watch her. It annoyed him that she looked so much happier around them while she always seemed miserable under his watch.

When they stopped for the night, Lynnette politely excused herself and rolled off. The mask finally came down as she did her business and puked up the food she had eaten for their sake. Clearly, the redhead was in agony, but was too stubborn to return to Naraku. Suddenly she looked up as though glaring straight at the evil hanyou, her blue eyes flashing in anger. She mouthed the words "Don't even _think_ about it!" before turning away to cover up her mess.

Naraku couldn't help but smirk, having a feeling that she was directing such words towards him _knowing_ that he was watching her. "Such an interesting woman..." he trailed off.

Returning to the others, she let Kagome take her hair down and brush it·something Naraku was not allowed to do. Buzzer didn't seem to like this and Lynnette had to keep calming him down.

The dark hanyou continued to watch her intently with Kagura's punishment sitting in the back of his mind. He had the sinking feeling that he would have to adjust to her established relationship with Kagome because he knew that nothing would be able to break their bond.

The redhead suddenly laughed as Kagome patiently worked out a snarl in her hair and shook her head slightly. Her hair was starting to turn glossy under the other miko's care, but Kagome didn't look pleased and said something to Lynnette.

After a few minutes of silent back and forth, Naraku's empress appeared to lose the argument because she gave in and followed Kagome to the river.

Naraku's interest piqued as he watched Kagome begin to wash Lynnette's hair. Were such simple things all that were needed to make the woman happy?

Kagome took her time and by the time that she was finished and had squeezed the water out of her hair, Lynnette had given herself a bath as well, her "pregnancy" obvious. Getting back into her chair with Kagome's help, she dried herself off and started to dress. Kagome then stopped her by putting a hand on the redhead's belly, appearing upset and gravely concerned.

The evil hanyou's eyes narrowed slightly when he saw Kagome's hand upon Lynnette's stomach. For some reason, the fact that another person was touching the spot where the "child" lay made him irritated.

Lynnette's eyes grew wide and filled with tears at whatever Kagome said before she broke down and cried in Kagome's arms. Ignoring the fact that they were both wet and naked, the miko held her tight and stroked her wet hair, just being there for her friend.

Naraku's eyes widened slightly before narrowing again. He had never seen the girl cry before and he quickly found that he hated it. For some reason, the man found himself envious of the fact that Lynnette trusted Kagome enough to the point that she wasn't afraid of letting the miko see her tears.

Kagome seemed to be enraged as she held her friend; the look in her eyes promising Naraku a very slow and painful death. When Lynnette calmed down, the miko kissed the other girl's forehead and helped her dress. She then quickly dressed herself as Lynnette politely turned away give some form of privacy. After giving the redhead back her glasses, they went back to camp. There, Kagome brushed Lynnette's hair until it dried while the other girl slept in her chair.

Naraku's hands clenched into fists as he continued to watch Lynnette relaxing with her friends. He was beginning to figure out that he wanted the girl all to himself more than he had anticipated.

"_Why not get her yourself?_" The buzzed suggestion came from one of his other insects. "_The wind witch doesn't care and she knows it._"

The dark hanyou glanced over at the insect and rolled the idea over in his mind. With his eyes fixed back upon the mirror, he wondered how short he could cut such a reunion. The more he thought about it, the more he began to agree with the saimyoushou's suggestion. Not only did he want Lynnette's trust and affection, he now _craved_ it as well.

Encouraged that it wasn't killed for speaking up, it ventured a second opinion. "_What about a gift? Your child isn't being nice to her and it's going to get worse before it gets better._"

Naraku actually contemplated the idea. "Like what?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"_What about a fur to keep her warm? She does get very cold; she's just skin and bones. Or make a place for her that the child is quiet and doesn't hurt her so she doesn't have to freeze outside to sleep? You made her the mother of your child, but how often do you spend time with her? You even sleep separately._"

Naraku found himself frowning at this, realizing that the saimyoushou had a few good points. With a small nod, he stood up from his position and looked down at Kanna. "You may go now," he said in a dismissive manner. With new ideas swarming in his mind, Naraku set out with even more of a drive to make Lynnette his.

---------

The next morning, Lynnette was in agony, but she refused to give into the child and return to Naraku's stink pit. Smiling at Kagome and the others, she swallowed and put on a cheerful face. "Good morning, everyone. Sleep well?"

Inuyasha shrugged after he left his perch in a nearby tree. It wasn't as if he slept much to begin with.

Kagome managed a smile at Lynnette. "I slept a lot better than I have been in weeks," she confessed. "What about you?"

"I got a few hours worth of sleep." The redhead admitted, stroking the bickering pair in her lap.

Sango, who had appeared beside Miroku while still maintaining a safe distance from his wandering hand, shook her head at Kirara's actions. "It seems like Kirara got even less sleep than you, huh?" she remarked.

The monk couldn't help but be uneasy around the saimyoushou since they were especially created to help aid in his death. He felt a bit disturbed at the fact that Lynnette had bonded with one of them.

When Kagome finished with her hair, Lynnette moved the hell insect from her lap to the crown of her head. "Be nice, Buzzer. Are you happy now, Kirara? He wasn't going to sting you."

In response, the nekomata let out a small mew and curled up in her lap as if she claimed the spot for herself.

Sango couldn't help but snicker at Kirara's possessiveness. "I haven't seen her like that since she hung around Kohaku," she murmured.

The redhead exhaled a depressed breath. "I'm not hungry, Kagome; we can move out after the rest of you eat."

Kagome heaved a sigh of her own, knowing why the girl didn't want to eat. "It's alright," she murmured. "But did you at least take your medicine?"

"It won't stay down." Lynnette admitted quietly. "I tried before everyone woke up." This was a lie, but the redhead knew that none of them would bring it up.

The miko grimaced at this piece of news but knew that she couldn't do anything about it.

The smell of food made the redhead feel ill, so after Kirara jumped down to receive her share; Lynnette politely excused herself and started to roll away. When she was out of sight, she started to gag slightly, leaning to the side in case she puked. Her knuckles turning white from gripping her chair so hard.

It was at this time that a familiar person approached Lynnette due to sensing her aura. "Lynnette?" Kikyou called out, an expression of rare surprise on her face as she walked towards the woman. Noticing how pale the younger woman was, the miko made sure to keep her distance in order to let her breathe.

Her concentration broken, Lynnette lost the battle as inky black bile erupted from her mouth. When she was finally finished, Lynnette spat and looked around for a stick to clean the mess with. "Hello, Kikyou," she greeted, her voice sounding raw.

A frown marred the miko's face as she carefully stepped towards Lynnette. "Did Naraku let you out?" she questioned, noticing that the girl was far away from where the dark hanyou's castle was located.

"He allowed me to visit with them until I am told to return or I can't stand the pain any longer, whichever comes first," the redhead explained as she began to cover the mess with dirt.

Kikyou nodded her head in understanding. "...Of course," she murmured sullenly. "I wouldn't think he'd suddenly become a 'giving' person."

"I think he got tired of looking for me every morning. I've been sleeping outside because only when it's cold can I seem to get a nap..." She closed her eyes to hide her tears. "I'm so _tired_..."

Kikyou couldn't help feel her aura spike for a moment out of sympathy for the poor girl. "For someone who has an interest in you, he's doing a very poor job of showing it..." she growled. She didn't know the last time she had been this upset for anyone else aside from her own condition.

"He doesn't care about me, he only wants this spawn he put there," the younger woman snapped, taking off her glasses to rub her bloodshot blue eyes. Letting out a breath to calm herself, she added, "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to lash out at you, Kikyou."

The miko shook her head. "Either way, if he wants this _child_ to survive..." She trailed off, the word "child" sounding like venom on her tongue. "He needs to makes sure you don't die before you can birth it."

"Honestly, I don't think there is anything he can do." Lynnette admitted, allowing Buzzer to land on her lap.

"Perhaps so, but he could certainly help in prolonging it," Kikyou replied, her tone critical of Naraku. "Allowing you to sleep out in the cold would surely make your health worse than it already is."

"Yesterday he actually let me sleep in his lap and covered me in a fur while I napped." The redhead shook her head, seeming like she had trouble believing in her own words.

The miko's eyes narrowed at her response. "So I take it that he didn't even notice how bad a condition you were in until yesterday?"

"More or less, yeah." Lynnette rubbed her eyes again. "I'm stubborn though, I'm not going back. I don't care how much I puke!"

Kikyou shook her head with a sigh. "If he decides to come to get you, I'll offer you my help," she remarked quietly.

"I doubt he will come back. Honestly, he pretty much ignored me after he got what he wanted." The redhead shrugged as if her comment was nonchalant and about the weather. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that he _wants_ me to die." Her last sentence had a tinge of bitterness within it.

The miko nodded her head in agreement. "It does seem that way..."

Buzzer made a harsh sound and Lynnette paused to calm him. "I should get back..." Suddenly, she snapped her head to the side. "What was that?"

Standing in the clearing across from the two women was an irate Sesshoumaru. His cold eyes were narrowed at the woman, but saw no reason to think her a threat at the moment. "_You_," he growled, his words directed at Lynnette. "You're that human Naraku has been keeping, aren't you?"

In an instant, Kikyou's arrow was already knocked into her bow and targeted it towards Sesshoumaru's chest. She was waiting for the moment to shoot if he took any further steps towards Lynnette.

A strong pulse from the child within set Lynnette's teeth on autogrind. "I am, and you are?"

"I suppose Inuyasha or that miko never mentioned it to you..." Sesshoumaru murmured in his usual icy voice.

Kikyou kept her defenses up as she remarked, "You're Sesshoumaru…"

"The ice king, of course." Lynnette murmured. "It fits you." She then bent over slightly in pain. "Calm down in there!" she added in a harsh reprimand towards her child.

The daiyoukai lifted his eyebrow at Lynnette's description of him. Is that what people in Inuyasha's group referred to him as? Looking over at Kikyou, he warned, "I wouldn't advise that you shoot that arrow towards me."

"What do you want?" Lynnette managed to get out, Buzzer hovering over her head protectively.

"I'm inquiring as to whether or not Naraku getting your abilities would be a threat..." Sesshoumaru remarked bluntly.

Kikyou pulled farther back on her bowstring. "Are you contemplating on killing her before that happens?" she demanded.

Lynnette snarled weakly. "I was dying when I came here and I'm still dying now." She let out her breath in an indignant huff. "Don't tell me you are afraid of a dying human..."

Sesshoumaru's glare hardened at her remark. "I have no interest in killing a half-dead human," he snorted. His pride wouldn't allow him to do such a thing.

"Then go away." Unable to stop herself, she bent over double in her hair in agony. "Just go away before this thing that Naraku calls a child kills me just to get to you!" Lynnette felt tears of torment slide down her cheeks.

As if sensing Lynnette's agony, the Inuyasha-tachi chose this time to show up.

Kagome was immediately at her friend's side and glaring up at Sesshoumaru.

Inuyasha had already drawn Tessaiga and pointed it towards his brother. "If you don't leave, I'll make you!" he snarled.

Lynnette started to shake, and she started to cough up black bile mixed with blood. "Let me die, Lady... Please..."

Sesshoumaru gave a disinterested snort and turned away from the group. Seeing the woman coughing up bile was more than enough to signify her state of health if her scent of death and Naraku weren't proof enough. "Naraku's interests baffle me," he admitted out loud before walking off.

Squeezing her eyes closed, she sucked in air and coughed hard.

Kagome soothingly rubbed the woman's back, doing her best to help Lynnette feel better. "...Damn Naraku..." she growled, her hatred for him only growing more pronounced when she could see how bad her teacher was suffering.

Spitting the rest of it out of her mouth, the priestess sighed. "That really hurt..." Her words were breathy and forced, sounding as if someone jammed a tube down her throat.

"There's no way I'm letting you go back to that bastard!" Kagome declared, her aura spiking with rage.

The redhead shook her head. "No choice, Kame, I can't hold out forever. The pain gets worse the longer I'm away from him..."

The young miko shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. "But letting you go back will make you suffer just as much in different ways..." she remarked.

Kikyou had since lowered her bow and replaced her arrow in her quiver. Looking over at the pair, she sighed. "Either way, Naraku is making her suffer more than she already has been."

Taking a deep gulp of fresh air, Lynnette wiped her mouth clean of remaining bile. "I'm okay now," she forced out, managing a shaky smile.

Kagome was obviously still on edge about Lynnette's current condition based on the fact that she didn't move away from her friend.

By this time, the others in the group turned all of their attention towards Lynnette and Kagome, all making sure to keep their distance.

The redhead shook her head, noticing how loudly the creature beside her was buzzing. "Buzzer, calm down..."

Kirara, who was perched in Sango's arms, jumped down and ran towards Lynnette. Doing her best not to automatically hiss at Buzzer, she looked up at the poor woman and mewed in what seemed like a sound of concern.

"There's no help for it... I'll have to..." She gulped. "... Send for one of them."

Kagome frowned. "Now?"

"It was calm until _he_ showed up." Lynnette sighed, referring to Sesshoumaru. "It's connected to him."

Kagome felt more tears threaten to fall at this. As selfish as it was, she didn't want her time with Lynnette to be cut even shorter due to the creature Naraku placed within her friend.

Lynnette took a deep breath of agony, laying a hand on her belly. "Calm down in there already before you make me puke again!" She snapped.

The others in the group fell silent as Lynnette scolded the mass inside of her. "Lynnette-sama?" Miroku murmured, stepping forward with a small frown on his face. "What are you talking about? Did Naraku put something inside of you?"

"He used the cancer to impregnate me. At least that's what I _think_," Lynnette answered. "Naraku put something in my food." Her eyes darkened and her face tightened. "I'm never eating meat again..."

Inuyasha let a low growl escape his throat as all of the pieces clicked together in his mind. "That explains the scent of Naraku always coming from you..." he snarled. "That bastard!"

Lynnette flinched as though she'd been hit. "I didn't want you to know..." Her eyes filled with tears. "I just wanted everyone to be happy for a while..."

Sango shook her head, feeling pity for the woman. "He wouldn't even spare you..." she murmured solemnly.

"He doesn't care about me. The only reason he let me see you was because he got tired of hunting for me every morning," Lynnette admitted. "I've been sleeping outside lately…the pain is so _bad_..."

Kikyou's eyes hardened, seeing first hand what Lynnette had to deal with. "Other than the garden and the outside path I showed her, she has no choice but to breathe in Naraku's shouki in small doses every day," she stated.

Kagome's hand tightened on her shoulder. "She isn't going back."

Kirara momentarily moved away from the others so that she could transform into her larger form. With a small growl that sounded more like a cat purring, the nekomata approached Lynnette and nuzzled her arm affectionately.

A tear fell down the redhead's cheek and she hugged Kirara. "It stinks so bad in there, I can barely breathe..."

The undead miko resisted the urge to sigh again. She disliked seeing Lynnette cry as much as she didn't want to admit it to herself.

The redhead buried her head in the demon cat's shoulder and stroked her fur. "I'm sorry... it seems like all I do is cry..." Her voice was muffled by the fur.

"No need to apologize for doing something completely within reason to do," Kikyou murmured softly.

Miroku and Sango both had to bite their bottom lip to prevent themselves from saying something that could cause more sadness for the girl. They both knew from first-hand experience how cruel Naraku could be, but to do such things to a young woman who was already suffering to begin with seemed to be low even for the dark hanyou.

Lynnette slowly got herself under control, and pulled away from Kirara. "Thank you…" she mumbled in gratitude towards the nekomata. Turning towards the others, she announced, "I'm going to wash my face. The rest of you can get packed up; I've wasted enough of the day." Tilting her face towards the undead miko, she then asked, "Kikyou, would you like to come with us?"

Kikyou cast a look at Inuyasha and Kagome, wondering if they minded if she decided to accompany them. Though the tension between them seemed to lesson significantly since Lynnette's arrival, she still couldn't be too sure.

Kagome nodded, stroking her friend's braid. "We need all the help we can get if Naraku shows up again," she admitted softly with little hesitation.

Inuyasha unclenched the fists he had formed into fists during the inner turmoil he experienced while he watched Lynnette cry. "Of course, I wouldn't mind," he remarked, glancing over at Kikyou.

The older woman's eyes widened for a moment; surprised by how quickly Inuyasha and Kagome came to an agreement: Was their feud finally over or was it only temporarily put to rest because of Lynnette?

"Thank you," Lynnette replied. "I won't take too long, Inuyasha. I should be grateful…" Trying not to cringe, she grumbled, "At least I'm not _married_ to him..." Before anyone could reply, she rolled away.

Kagome hissed. "That'll happen over my cold, dead body," she vowed very quietly, the cold fire shining in her eyes.

Kikyou couldn't help but silently echo the emotion that Kagome felt.

Inuyasha saw the expression Kagome made and couldn't help the small chill that ran up his spine. He quickly covered up his small ebbing of fear with an irritated countenance.

The younger miko turned on heel and marched back to their camp to pack their things, muttering under her breath in fury.

Knowing that no one would mind, Kikyou decided to follow after Lynnette, not wanting the young woman to be alone in such a frail state. She walked along the tracks marked in the grass by the woman's chair and stopped when she saw the other priestess by the river.

Lynnette had washed her face, and was now just sitting still, her hands becoming balled fists in her lap. "No, I'm not going back yet," she mumbled in what sounded like a mantra.

Kikyou heard the words and slightly shook her head as she continued to walk forward in order to make her presence known. "Lynnette," she called out.

"What is it Kikyou?" Lynnette asked, turning her head slightly.

"I'm concerned about your welfare," the miko admitted, her usual cold eyes reflecting genuine worry. Kikyou honestly didn't remember the last time she had worried about another person since she had been brought back to life.

"I'm worried too, believe me. I accepted my death, but I didn't think it would end this way... I wanted knowledge to be my legacy; not a child that will be used against those I loved the most!" She shook her head. "We can't choose how or when our time ends; only how we'll be remembered."

The miko nodded. "I know that fact well," she murmured, knowing that she shouldn't have even been walking the earth in the first place. A human is only supposed to be given one chance at life; not two.

"I wasn't afraid to die; I've lived a good life this time around. Kagome would be fine after a while, I'd see to that. The Lady knows I'm messed up more than once, but I've done my best to make things right as best I could," Lynnette said quietly.

"So, you're certain that you won't be able to survive giving birth to this so-called 'child'?" Kikyou asked.

"He has no reason to keep me alive," the older woman bluntly replied. "Hell, I think this one will claw its way right out of me! It has no affection for me. I'm just the holder, not the parent. Naraku made that _very_ clear."

The miko's eyes narrowed at the thought of Naraku's actions. "He's done far too much evil to be redeemed," she remarked in a haunting voice.

"You don't need to tell me that Kikyou," Lynnette hissed again in pain. "Ouch!"

Kikyou idly stood by, wondering if there was anything more she could do to help the young woman.

After a moment, the redhead relaxed. "We should be getting back."

The older woman nodded her head in agreement. "I suppose we should," she replied. Though subtle in her consciousness, something told her that she couldn't help but enjoy being in Lynnette's company.

"He might get what he wants in the end, but I'm not going before the one I serve until I've fought him tooth and nail at every turn." Lynette narrowed her eyes, and repeated the statement slowly enough so that the someone watching could read her lips. Deciding to out the invader, she cursed. "Damnit... He's watching me again."

Kikyou's eyes narrowed, already getting in defensive mode. "...How can you tell?" she questioned. Aside from directly feeling the presence of Naraku or any of his creations, she didn't know how anyone could sense him watching over them.

"Haven't you ever had the feeling that you are being watched even though no one else is around? Like someone is burning a hole in the back of your head?" Lynnette asked.

"Yes, of course," the miko replied bitterly.

"Always assume it's him. You might be wrong, but you can always apologize later if you are. If you've been around someone long enough, you can tell them apart." The redhead shrugged. "I've gotten used to being watched by one person or another."

Kikyou shook her head. "It's been a while since Naraku had last watched me," she admitted in a hushed voice. "I suppose I've begun to get used to not having to look over my shoulder."

"No one can stay alert forever, Kikyou. I doubt he has been watching you since I came here. Though he is fickle, he might just decide to capture you, too, presumably to be my handmaiden," The redhead remarked, watching the others pack through the trees.

The miko allowed a rare scowl to line her features as she thought over such an idea. "I have no such interest to work _for_ him," she growled under her breath.

Lynnette didn't respond to her statement. "Let's get moving, we have a long way to go," she finally remarked after a few minutes of silence. Something told her that it wouldn't be long before the fragile peace she momentarily held would shatter completely.


	16. Recaptured and punishments

Author's note: Thanks to Turtlequeen2 for all of her help with this chapter. Enjoy the read everyone!

* * *

Lynnette took a deep breath, ignoring the pain knifing her middle as Kagome took her turn at pushing her. "What a beautiful day, of course, I'd say that if it was pouring rain too..." She reached up a hand when she left Buzzer tugging at her hair. "Buzzer, just what are you doing up there?" As she spoke, she petted a sleeping Kilara with the other hand. "Hey Sango?"

Sango looked over at the young woman in question. "Yes, Lynnette?" she asked.

"Are there others like Kilara?" She sounded wistful.

The taijiya smiled at the woman. "Of course there are," she murmured. "It's just that nekomata as dependent as her are rare to see."

"Oh." Lynnette sounded disappointed. "I see."

"Why do you ask?" the woman pressed, sounding curious.

"I just... wondered. It gets lonely sometimes with just Buzzer for company." Lynnette said softly.

Sango frowned. "I'm sure Kirara would go with you if she didn't already have obligations with helping us."

The redhead shook her head. "It wouldn't be right to separate you two anyway." She stroked both insect and cat.

Inuyasha, who was walking alongside Miroku and Shippou, scowled at Lynnette's words. He didn't like the thought of her being alone while under Naraku's hold.

She sighed. "Oh well, not like it really matters with Naraku's stink everywhere."

Sango frowned even more until an idea came over her. Pausing in her step, she brought out a mask and handed it to Kirara who was snuggled into the girl's lap. "Here, if you truly need to go back to Naraku, use this," the taijiya offered. "It's a mask that prevents humans from breathing in miasma."

The redhead took the mask. "This would only be good for short periods of time though, right?"

"I wouldn't be too heavily dependent on it... It won't last forever," Sango explained.

She nodded. "I figured that."

Miroku raised his eyebrow at Sango's actions. "But what about you?" he couldn't help but ponder.

The taijiya smiled. "I can always make a new one."

Lynnette sighed and looked around. "Company I think." Buzzer was making a very loud noise.

In an instant, everyone in the group was on edge when they sensed a familiar presence.

Kagome's grip tightened on Lynnette's handlebars out of impulse. "He's... very early..." she remarked with narrowed eyes.

Pressing her lips together, she frowned. "Buzzer..." A sharp buzz made her sigh. "Buzzer says he didn't tattle."

Behind her, Kagome stroked her friend's braid. "It's okay Lynnette, I won't let him hurt you anymore."

Inuyasha let out a low growl, his hand already on Tessaiga's hilt.

The sky darkened as a cloud of miasma swarmed in the air in front of them. Once the blackened smoke cleared, Naraku hovered in the air with a haughty sneer in place.

The redhead hissed and pressed a hand to her middle. "I didn't send any message." Her eyes narrowed. "Why are you here?"

"I could already tell that _our_ child was missing me," Naraku chuckled, not even trying to hide what he was doing to Lynnette.

"I said that I would send a message when I was ready." Her tone was frosty with temper. "You didn't have to waste your time fetching me."

"Did you expect me to leave you feeling miserable for the next few days?" the evil hanyou taunted.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed up at Naraku, pulling his sword out and readying himself for battle.

"Have you been spying on me the whole time?" She demanded, ignoring Kagome's tightening grip on her shoulder.

"I only wished to ensure that you weren't being harmed..." Naraku trailed off, not denying her claim.

The redhead rolled her eyes. "Please, even if something came up that I couldn't handle on my own, the others wouldn't have let any harm come to me."

The dark hanyou's eyes narrowed ever so slowly. He didn't like the renewed fire that shone in her eyes. He knew that it he didn't remove her soon, he'd have to start over from scratch in terms of weakening her.

A flash of pain made her face tighten and sweat bead on her forehead as she stroked the snarling nekomata in her lap. "Let's go everybody."

"You expect us to walk away from him?" Inuyasha demanded. As far as he was concerned, every chance he had to see the actual Naraku was a good chance for him to kill the evil bastard.

"I can't risk you getting injured Inuyasha." Her voice was calm, even as she ground her teeth against the pain. "Now is not the time."

Kikyou looked over at Lynnette with slightly widened eyes. In such a time where the younger woman's safety was at stake, she didn't want Inuyasha to potentially free her from Naraku because it would risk the hanyou being hurt!

Trying not to show any emotion or pain on her face, the redhead actually went so far as to turn her back on Naraku, ignoring the painful pulses from the demon spawn she carried.

Naraku's eyes narrowed as anger swarmed within him. The more she defied him, the more hot tempered he became. There was no way he would let her go that easily! Putting up a barrier around himself in case there was any backfire from the others, he shot forth a tendril from his body and wrapped it completely around Lynnette's chair, holding it stuck into place.

Exhaling, Lynnette's eyes turned silver as her power erupted like silver flames to defend its progenitor. The fire lashed out at the tendril, severing it even as Lynnette let loose a short scream of pain and wrapped an arm around her middle.

"Dammit!" Inuyasha growled, enabling Tessaiga to turn red. "This is why I wasn't planning on letting him go!"

Kagome already had an arrow notched in her bow. "Kikyou, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Of course," the older miko replied, notching her own arrow and aiming it for Naraku's barrier.

"_Don't!_" Lynnette screamed, fighting the pain, her back still to Naraku.

Despite how shocked Naraku was at Lynnette's powers lashing out at him, his amusement returned once he realized what the others didn't seem to get just yet. Removing his barrier, he landed on the ground and walked forward, grabbing the wheelchair in order to turn it around. Once he faced Lynnette, he picked her up from her chair and held her in his arms before forcing a kiss upon her in order to calm to fighting child within her.

Kikyou's grip immediately tightened on her bow, disgusted at the sight and feeling pity for the woman who had to kiss Naraku.

Her body was taunt in his arms, as she pulled away and squirmed trying to get him to let go. "This changes nothing. I only stopped them to protect _them_." Even though her cheeks had taken on a greenish cast, her eyes still glowed silver as though ready to lash out again even if it meant taking them both out to do it. She ignored the pain that screamed though her body by using her power in her condition.

Noticing how much pain the woman continued to be in, Naraku loosened his hold and gave Lynnette a much gentler kiss than before.

With great effort, the redhead forced herself to relax into his embrace and banish her power, shaking with exhaustion in his arms. Her eyes returned to a blue-gray state. "You didn't have to lay it on so thick." She commented, realizing now that Naraku was cradling her head with one hand.

Naraku shifted the woman so that he could help support her with his shoulder and cradle her more firmly against him. Turning slightly to their audience, he smirked down at her. "You should know better than to fight me, my darling..." he murmured in his silky tone. Tilting his head to give them his complete attention, he added, "You should be thanking her for saving your lives..."

Sango and Miroku both frowned at Naraku's actions. It was obvious that they were both equally disturbed by it.

Kirara's fur bristled even while she was already in her bigger form. She didn't like Naraku touching Lynnette at all and snarled her protest at the dark hanyou.

"Put her down Naraku, your the one who did this to her!" Kagome snapped, seeing how worn out Lynnette was from just that brief struggle. "You can cut the loving husband act!"

Shippou shuddered at the tone in Kagome's voice. "Yeah, put her down right now."

"And if I don't...?" Naraku trailed off, looking directly at Kagome.

Kagome shot an arrow, barely missing Buzzer- the insect was hovering anxiously next to Naraku's right ear- who made a beeline for his half-asleep mistress.

Naraku smirked at her threat. "Did you not realize what happened earlier, Kagome?" he asked.

"You made it hurt her because she wanted to stay with us!" The young miko snapped.

Kikyou's eyes narrowed at her enemy. "I imagine you're referring to Lynnette's pain that surfaced when we attempted to attack you?" she replied coldly.

"Precisely," the dark hanyou remarked, his expression growing smug. "The 'child' within her will reject her if anyone tries to cause me harm."

Inuyasha let out another growl. "You bastard..." He wanted more than anything to rip the man apart, but didn't want to risk causing more harm to Lynnette.

"Would that include Lynnette-sama herself?" Miroku asked, clenching his hand tighter around his staff.

Naraku pulled Lynnette closer to him as he explained, "The 'child' is gentler in regards to that..."

"It didn't look like it." Sango replied with heat in her voice. "Why didn't you just leave when she said to?"

"And allow her to suffer even more?" the evil hanyou replied in a taunt. "The longer she avoids seeing me, the more pain she'll have to endure."

Before anyone could reply, Buzzer got Naraku's attention. '_She's very cold and tired._' It said. '_Mistress could get ill. You can't warm her while you are talking!_'

Knowing very well that he had nothing useful near him to help the priestess' situation, Naraku gave a sigh. "As amusing as this talk has been, I have other things to do," he murmured, beginning to rise into the air.

Kagome made a frustrated sound. "Her chair?"

Already way ahead of the young miko, a tentacle shot out of Naraku's body, wrapping around the chair and lifting it up behind him.

Lynnette shivered in his arms, cold to the touch. It was unclear as to if she was really sleeping or if she had passed out because of energy loss, but either way, she did not respond to Kagome's voice.

Kagome growled softly to vent her frustration. "I'll rip his heart out for this if he even has one."

After Naraku disappeared from view, Inuyasha and Kikyou looked over at Kagome, surprised to hear such words come from her mouth.

The hanyou mentally flinched, not liking how quick the darker Kagome had returned.

Kagome put her arrow back in its quiver and stomped off down the road, all of her cheerful lightheartedness was gone.

Miroku sighed. "...Shouldn't we go after her before she gets herself into trouble?" he suggested.

"Do you want to be the one to volunteer?" Shippou asked.

The monk tried his best not to shiver at the thought. It was going to be a long night.

---------------

Naraku's 'wife' was still semi-sleeping in Naraku's arms when they arrived home, still, the redhead made a face of distaste when she smelled the miasma that surrounded the dark hanyou's lair. There were still dark circles under her eyes when she opened them. It was very clear from her expression that the lady was not pleased. "How can you stand the stink?" She asked irritably, wincing when the 'child' pulsed in warning at her tone of voice.

Naraku chose to ignore her question as he carefully moved the chair to the front of them and set her down into it. "I've made a _few_ adjustments since you were gone..." he trailed off as he began to push her towards her room.

She raised an eyebrow but held her tongue as she let him push her, Buzzer humming in her lap reassuringly.

The dark hanyou stopped once they were outside of her room. Pushing back the shoji door, he revealed to her a much more extravagant room than before.

Her eyes widened despite herself as she slowly rolled into the room. "What...?" She spun around to face him in confusion, and although her mouth moved, nothing else would come out.

The already lavish room was now sporting an even larger bed piled high with soft pillows and thick furs. The room also held a withering, warm glow due to the many candles scattered throughout the area. "Until the child is born, I've decided to take residence in here with you to prevent it from waking it from your sleep..." he explained with a faint smirk on his lips.

Lynnette jumped in her chair and rolled backwards as though Naraku had just sprouted fangs, apparently forgetting Japanese in her shock, she began to tell him just _what_ she thought of that idea in English.

Despite how upset the woman looked, Naraku outwardly showed no negative reaction to it. At most, he seemed more amused than anything else.

Finally remembering Japanese again, Lynnette shook her head. "No, no, and no. I'm not sharing a bed with you."

"So you'd rather spend the entire night in pain?" Naraku questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm already living in your lair, basically stuck here! Isn't that enough?" The question didn't seem to be directed at Naraku.

The older man stood in silence for a moment, rolling the words around in his head.

Clenching her teeth when the child pulsed, she snarled. "I don't care if he is your father; he is not my husband and therefore has absolutely no rights to my bed! I am not going to gain peace by acting like a whore!"

Naraku was interested in Lynnette's tirade with the child in her. So it was over something that trivial? Not wanting to look like an "easy" woman?

Completely ignoring both Naraku and the growing pain, she clenched her hand into a fist. "Absolutely not, I won't do it! I have my limits too, and I don't allow anyone in my bed, end of story!"

"Even if that means your death?" Naraku pondered. The question was non-threatening. It held a tone of curiosity in it. He wanted to know how far she would go.

"What use is living if you betrayed your own set of values and honor?" She shot back, her temper going short again.

"Hm... Interesting..." Naraku murmured, frowning in thought since he now knew that making her want to die even more would do him no good.

"I am not afraid to die, but damnit, I will not act like a dog beforehand." Lynnette was a lady- and as such- she rarely swore.

The evil hanyou smirked, thinking up a solution he had already given some thought to beforehand. "It wouldn't be as sacrilegious if you were already wed to that man, would it?" he purred.

"You would marry someone you didn't love? Someone you were planning to kill?" Her tone filled with mingled shock and horror.

"Now why would you assume the relationship would feed off of mere hatred?" Naraku pressed.

"This 'child' wasn't conceived with my knowledge, let alone permission, or have you forgotten that detail?" Lynnette answered in a soft but angry voice.

"Of course I haven't forgotten about that detail..." the older man replied.

She raised her eyebrow, ignoring the romantic glow of the candlelight. "Then you have just answered your own question."

Instead of giving a direct verbal reply, he picked her up into his arms and walked her over to the bed. Before setting her down, he slipped a band of red beads around her wrist. "This will protect you from the shouki," he explained. Noticing how cold her skin still was, he covered her up with a blanket and sat down on the side of bed before smirking down at her. "I'm keeping you alive for entertainment purposes, Lynnette..." he began while placing fur pelts around her. "If you're good, I can just as easily heal you and ensure that this child won't be the death of you."

The redhead narrowed her eyes, fighting the warmth of the nest so she wouldn't sleep. "Define 'good' Naraku."

"Cooperation would be a start," Naraku explained. His hand moved down to cup her chin. "And another kiss wouldn't hurt..."

Lynnette stiffened. "I never kissed you."

Naraku almost laughed. "My mistake," he murmured. "I meant to say, I want a _real_ kiss from you."

"I still don't understand." Her blue-gray eyes narrowed as she stared into Naraku's.

"In order for you to get a good night's rest, we have to act like a loving couple to please the child's desires..." Naraku explained.

A sharp kick from the 'child' made her hiss. "Won't it know it's an act?"

"Whether it's an act or not doesn't matter much," the dark hanyou admitted. "It is still much better than outright opposing me."

With a sigh, Lynnette lightly brushed her lips against his when he leaned down close enough, but otherwise didn't touch him.

Pleased with her reaction, Naraku found that he enjoyed the simple contact far more than he could have expected. Once he pulled his lips away from hers, he suggested, "Rest."

Grateful that he didn't want a firmer kiss, she shifted slightly to snuggle deeper into the furs, then paused to remove her glasses. "Are you going to put the candles out before you leave the room?"

"Of course," the older man replied, standing up from her bedside. "I believe if I wouldn't, saimyoushou would be swarming around me in mutual complaint."

Lynnette nodded, putting her glasses on the edge of the platform that stood in as a table. She was starting to wonder if he had only claimed to be moving in to get that kiss, but knew better than to ask as she felt Naraku adjust her furs.

Naraku went around and put out all of the candles, shrouding her in darkness, before he gave her a final glance and slid the door shut behind him.

Buzzed joined him, having left his mistress during the argument to see the other insects. '_You aren't staying with her?_' It asked.

Naraku shook his head. "In due time it will happen, but not now..." he murmured quietly. Once Naraku was far enough from Lynnette's room, an outright scowl appeared on his face as he thought about the next thing to do on his agenda. Walking towards a particular room, he slammed open the door, ignoring a kneeling Kanna in the process of doing so.

It was no surprise that the albino incarnation gave no reaction to his rare expression of rage.

Buzzer seemed shocked and sounded surprised at his anger. '_Master?_' It questioned.

Naraku ignored the insect, finding a specific spot in the middle of the room and removing the tatami mat that hid a secret, trap door. Pulling open the door, he began to move down the dark stairway that led into an underground dungeon. The miasma on the floors above held no candle to the amount that swarmed around in the level of darkness located in the dungeon. One breath inhaled by a human would be enough to choke on. Other than the occasional torch mounted to stone walls, an unsettled advanced level of blackness blanketed the area.

Unnerved now, Buzzer hovered above his head. '_Don't leave this open often._' It said nervously, wanting to flee but not daring to do so for fear of being swatted in Naraku's fury.

Naraku heard the saimyoushou's warning and allowed his anger to still for a moment so that he could remark, "There's a reason I hide this place from human eyes."

'_You leave her alone too often, she'll start to explore and stumble into things._' It pointed out. '_The child feeds off of the miasma, it will want to go in here or worse, make her go down there._'

"I've already ordered Kanna to keep guard over this place in case she finds the room," the evil hanyou explained. He continued walking through the darkness, seeming to know his way around the area very well. Finally reaching his destination, his eyes narrowed at the sight of a familiar woman chained to a wall.

Kagura didn't even struggle against the chains that held her into place. To make matters worse, the silver chains were engulfed in fire that seemed to come from Hell itself. The flames burned an eerie amber, orange, not ever dying down or wavering. The fire burned into her skin as did the chains, but didn't do anything to suffocate or kill her. Though sweat beat down her face, she did nothing to pull against her restraints, already accustomed to such torture and knowing enough that she wouldn't be able to break free.

Stopping in front of the kneeling woman and keeping his eyes on her, he ordered, "Go back to Lynnette" to the saimyoushou.

Scared out of it's wits, the insect fled and didn't stop shaking until it landed on her pillow.

Kagura sensed Naraku's presence immediately and weakly glared up at him. "What the hell do you want?" she spat out of impulse.

Naraku's eyes narrowed, the anger returning to his face. "I give you one task that I thought was doable for even you, but apparently you can't even follow the simplest of orders," he growled.

The incarnation sneered despite her current condition. "I guess not, huh?" she snorted.

"...Must I remind you who created you and who can just as easily destroy you?" Naraku snapped back.

The young woman scoffed. "If you want to blame someone for what happened, blame your dear _pretend_ wife."

The word "pretend" struck a chord within the evil hanyou, but he kept his rage at bay to demand, "What do you mean by that?"

"She told me that I wasn't obligated to watch over her and that if you got pissed at me, she'll take responsibility for it," the woman explained.

When Naraku gave no reply, she continued her rant despite how painful it was getting for her to talk. It seemed like the flames were growing hotter with each passing moment they stood talking. She let out a bitter laugh. "Is that woman a replacement for that dead miko you could never win over? I mean, to go as far as to put a child inside of her!" She shook her head. "I mean, I knew you were a sick bastard, but I didn't think you were this _delusional_, too! Are you so desperate for a family that you'd create a pretend one to satisfy your fucked up fantasies?"

The dark hanyou couldn't bear to hear another word. The reference to Kikyou was enough to make him go over the edge. Raising his hand, he struck her hard across the face to silence her. A trail of blood was left behind as he made sure to make good use of his claws.

Kagura's eyes widened after Naraku pulled his hand back. She found herself dumbfounded, the shock easily overriding the pain she felt. "Y-you..._hit_ me..." she gasped out. Despite all of the torture that he had put her through, he had never once raised a bare hand to her face. Everything he did to her, with the exception of squeezing her heart, made use of his tentacles or chains. Once she followed his hand up to his face, she made out the fury painted on his countenance; the likes of which she had never seem before.

"What I put within Lynnette is _not_ a child," Naraku snarled.

Trying her best to get over such shock, she replied, "You could have fooled me from the way you speak about it to other people..."

"Kagura, if you want to live past tonight, I suggest you stop defying me," the dark hanyou growled back.

The wind sorceress glared at him. "...If you're not planning to make a 'family' with her then what's your goal of putting that _thing_ inside of her?"

Resisting the rising urge to pull out the woman's heart and crushing it, Naraku's rage went from boiling hot to a simmer. "...For once, a question I'll be willing to answer for you," he remarked. A dark smirk spread on his face before he added, "I intend to make this creation a new race of youkai that that will eventually take over this world..."


	17. Darkness before the dawn

Author's note: Thanks to Turtlequeen2 for all of her help writing and editing this chapter. Sorry this chapter took so long, computer and family problems. Enjoy the read everyone!

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The evil hanyou smirked in satisfaction as he watched Lynnette's sleeping face. He had gotten around the redhead's banishment from her bedroom simply by waiting until she fell sleep before sneaking in. He made sure, however, to be gone before morning-or before she woke up-whichever came first. At the moment, Naraku found himself to be in a rather thoughtful mood. Since returning to his lair, it had not escaped his notice that the young woman carrying his demonic spawn was growing weaker by the day. However, this fact didn't really show when her temper was in full swing. Even so, he had noticed that while she would still get angry at him, she seemed to wear out faster and after using her powers, she would sleep for at least a full day as a consequence of her energy depletion.

Watching her sleep, he gently laid a hand on her swollen midsection. It was rock hard to the touch. He knew that unless he wanted her to die, the 'baby' would have to be born soon. Although he couldn't exactly speak to the 'child' he had put within her, he was able to- in a limited sense-monitor the offspring's growth within her. It would not be long now. Ignoring the saimyoushou that buzzed nervously above Lynnette's head, he gently brushed the hair away from her face with his other hand.

'_Something needs to be done about this..._' Naraku thought to himself with narrowed eyes. His plan was going to fall apart just before it got off the ground due to his indecisiveness. And the longer he waited around, the harder it would become to ensure Lynnette's cooperation.

The 'child' pulsed as though in question, making the mother flinch and hiss in discomfort. Buzzer made a sharp sound of disapproval. "_Why are you hurting her?_"

The evil hanyou turned to face Buzzer without a word, not wanting to wake the young woman. Was his own hesitation causing her pain?

No longer obedient to Naraku, the hell insect was changing. It had learned to question and would no longer follow orders blindly. Landing on the woman's forehead, it brushed a leg across the skin just as its mistress began the stir unhappily.

Opening her blue-gray eyes, she squinted nearsightedly before giving a weak snarl. "I told you that weren't welcome here," she managed with a wince.

Naraku still felt annoyed by the rule she had given him, but gave no excuse or apology for it. "Even if that means that our child will make you more miserable in the long run?" he pondered.

For her answer, she attempted to shove him away weakly with both hands. It was the first time she had ever touched him of her own volition. "I like my own privacy and space. Besides, you stunk up my bed and I just cleaned it!" She looked annoyed as she reached to her side to hunt for her glasses and rolled on her side to see her hand better. "Quiet you, it's just my side," she muttered.

The older man finally stood up, mildly surprised and amused at the physical reaction she gave him. By now, he was used to her rude remarks about the "stench" of his castle and learned to ignore them. The only reason he was so accommodating in the first place was for her health.

Finally getting her glasses, the redhead slid them on and rolled over on her back. Closing her eyes, she took several deep breaths and her face suddenly looked at peace as silver power enveloped the bed. It was as close to bliss as he had ever seen her, but it was broken a few minutes later when the power faded and she gasped in pain. There was a sudden scramble to roll over before she vomited in a basin by the bedside that Naraku hadn't noticed before.

Naraku frowned momentarily when he saw her vomit. The young woman hardly kept anything down. It was a wonder that she hadn't starved to death by now.

Buzzer was panicking and wouldn't stop darting at her head until she reached out and tenderly stroked his head with a finger once the vomiting had stopped. "It's all right now, just a little dizzy. Go see if Kikyou is here while I get ready for the day." Lynnette coaxed. Although annoyed because it wasn't dawn yet, she spat in the basin to rid herself of the taste. "We don't want to be late, do we, Buzzer?"

It was then that Naraku was reminded of yet another problem. Kikyou. As much as he wanted Lynnette to be more "comfortable" in his home, the older man was still not warming up to the idea of the undead miko visiting her every few days. It seemed like the more Kikyou came around, the more Lynnette rebelled against him.

Somehow she managed to maneuver herself into a sitting position while clenching her teeth, her nude body glistening with sweat of the effort. It was clear why she didn't wear clothes as Naraku watched her get into her chair, they would have been a danger if they'd gotten tangled or twisted around. The effort it took to get out of bed clearly hurt and the jumping 'baby' didn't help at all. "You _aren't_ helping..." she muttered between panting for air as she rested, but was soon forced to puke in the basin again.

'_So Kikyou is the only reason she got out of bed...?_' Naraku thought to himself, biting back the urge to growl in irritation. It was annoying to say the least. The only reason Lynnette struggled so hard was to meet with the miko. Finally allowing the young woman some time alone, Naraku left her room and headed to his study in order to ponder to himself for a while.

A half hour later, Lynnette was out the door and rolling towards the meeting place, when she finally got there it was an hour past dawn. Her red hair was neatly braided and her eyes glowed with welcome despite the dark circles under them. "Good morning, Kikyou!" She greeted joyfully. "How was the trip?"

Kikyou returned the smile even though she was inwardly alarmed by Lynnette's weakening state. It seemed like every visit showed the younger woman growing more and more fragile. "...It was as good as it could have been for one visiting Naraku's castle," she answered in an honest tone.

"I'm surprised you are here this early, were you sleeping when Buzzer came by?" The hell insect was perched on her shoulder as the redhead scratched the chin of one of Kikyou's soul collectors in greeting.

The undead miko shook her head. "I woke up before dawn..." she admitted.

"I was dozing but somebody-" she glared first at her belly and then turned it on Naraku's castle, "decided to wake me up."

"Ah.." Kikyou remarked quietly. "Did you at least manage to eat anything?"

"Doesn't do any good Kikyou, I can't eat anymore. No sooner do I swallow then it comes back up again." The redhead shrugged. "It lives off magic, I think."

The older woman frowned. "...If you don't eat, how will you continue living?"

"As far as I can tell, it is keeping me alive, but I'll die once it decides to come out. Naraku hints at healing me if I behave, but I'm not falling for it!" She sounded angry. "I'm going to make his life miserable before I go to the Summerland, and may the Goddess be thanked; that shouldn't be too much longer!"

Kikyou raised her eyebrow. "...So you're already prepared for death?"

"I knew I was going to die when Kagome brought me here, but I wanted to give her a few more good memories before I left this world; ease her pain a little." She was serious. "Unfortunately things didn't go as I had hoped, but at least I know she'll be safe here with her group. It was a short time, but it was enough for completing the task I needed."

The miko nodded. "I see..." It was unfortunate, but even she could see that death was very close to consuming this woman.

The redhead looked at her fragile hands. "I love life, but I'm not greedy. There's always the next time around after all. Dying might-okay, it _will_-hurt, but after that it won't anymore." She suddenly smiled at Kikyou. "I might even see you and Kame sometime down the road."

Kikyou returned the smile even if it were a bit bitter. "...I only live to see Naraku's death. Once he is gone, I will have no more reason to be in this world."

"In this time maybe, but next time around you'll have new lessons to learn." She cocked her head. "I thought, being a priestess, that you'd know that."

The miko was taken aback by this statement. Of course the thought had crossed her mind before, but how could she have forgotten it? "...I suppose you have a point," she murmured. "However, since I was brought back to life, I've cheated death in a sense..."

Lynnette shook her head. "I don't believe that. If you weren't meant to finish your task, however it came about, you wouldn't have been allowed to come back at all. Everything happens for a reason, Kikyou."

Kikyou found herself smiling again. "You're very wise for someone of your age..."

"I'm something of a scholar, it gives me something to do." She shrugged. "Being born in this body gives me lots of time to think. I think that my lesson in this life was faith."

The older woman nodded in understanding.

The young woman eyed Kikyou. "What do you think yours was?"

"Perhaps it was to better understand humanity..." Kikyou thought out loud, more to herself than towards Lynnette. "I was raised to be a miko who had to discard human emotion or else be classified as weak. It took me until I fell in love to realize that it was foolish of me to think I could act any different than human."

"Or balance, or both."

"Perhaps so..." the woman murmured in agreement.

Kikyou then thought to herself for a moment before asking, "What do you believe in?"

"I found my path believing in the divine feminine and the three faces of the goddess. Maiden, Mother, and Wise-woman." She smiled. "You don't loose your power if you aren't a maiden."

The miko nodded, taking in the information. "That seems interesting.."

"It is my belief that a woman gains power, and while she loses some here and there, she always gains more and no face is higher than another."

Kikyou frowned in thought. "I've never heard of that before..."

"I think the reason why they made you stay a maiden is because they didn't want you to grow up," The redhead said thoughtfully.

The older woman's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

"If they believe a woman can only be a priestess or only be a mother, they limit her power. After all a priestess can have no heirs." She smiled sadly. "The strongest power is handed down from mother to daughter Kikyou."

Kikyou's eyes widened slightly as she realized how right Lynnette was.

"A daughter can be adopted that's true, but the ones who are direct descendants..." She trailed off before shrugging her shoulders. "The line is purer in females than in males. Why else do you think men strive to control their women, Kikyou?"

"...I could only speculate, to be honest..."

"That is a talent of itself, to think for yourself and not need to be told what to do or what to think. Yes, as a priestess you had more freedom, but they bound you with chains of a different type by killing your ability to _believe_," The redhead remarked quietly. "They nearly killed any chance you had at being the strong priestess you were meant to be."

Kikyou was stunned to say the least. She had never thought about the people around her in such a manner. "In a way... they make such an aspiring title into a curse..."

"It is only a curse is you let it be, so long as you allowed them to say 'this is how it is' then that is what you would have believed. I think that your death was a form of being cruel to be kind. Yes, you were hurt by it and you probably want to hit me by now, but let me ask you this Kikyou: _Would your life have been any better if you had lived with Inuyasha but at the cost of an already powerful Naraku gaining the jewel to make himself a god with no one to stop him?_" Her eyes had turned piercing, giving the other woman the sense that anything but complete honesty would cost Kikyou a valuable friendship.

The miko nodded in agreement. "It was my own choice to die because I knew that wishing for extended life on the jewel would taint it."

Whatever power that was holding Lynnette as she spoke faded, leaving nothing but an exhausted girl. "Then let go of your hatred for both Naraku and Inuyasha Kikyou." She said quietly, forcing her heavy eyelids to stay open.

"Hatred towards Inuyasha?" the miko echoed in confusion.

"Let him go, stop saying one thing and doing another. Every time he runs to your aide and you don't send him away you are saying that you don't mean what you say about wanting him to move on."

Kikyou frowned, knowing that Lynnette had a point. In some ways, it was her own fault that her own past continued to haunt her.

Fighting the impulse to sleep, the young woman said nothing, she was tired. She knew the messages she gave had hit home, and that was enough.

The older woman then looked back at Lynnette and inwardly panicked, realizing that the priestess was losing her strength. Approaching her side, she carefully pulled Lynnette out of her chair and carried her a few feet so that the younger woman could rest beside her.

Lynnette leaned against Kikyou. "Thank you," she mumbled, stroking a frantic Buzzer. "Nap time, Buzzer. It's okay."

Kikyou's eyes flashed with panic as she held Lynnette close to her. "...It seems like you're getting more weaker by the day.." she murmured.

"Can't… sleep there. Afraid... I'll be smothered. It's so dark and it stinks..." The redhead yawned hugely. "The pain won't stop either, and uninvited guests keep coming in my room while I sleep."

The older woman sighed. "...Then I'll make sure Naraku can't get near you while you rest," she promised.

"Sorry, you walked so far... and all I do is sleep... very bad manners..." The younger woman murmured before drifting off into sleep.

Kikyou idly brushed the hair off of Lynnette's face as she watched her sleep. It was then that she was beginning to realize how important this woman was to her and how she didn't want her to die. If that was what it took for her to live longer, the miko would have gladly walked twice the distance.

Buzzer shifted quietly. "_You _love_ her,_" it hummed.

The miko's eyes widened, being around the saimyoushou long enough to pick up on its mannerisms. She looked at Buzzer before glancing down at Lynnette. The longer she sat there in silence, the more it began to sink in and make sense to her. _'Love...' _she thought to herself.

When Naraku found them hours later, it was to discover that his "mate" was fast asleep and her head was pillowed on Kikyou's lap. He glared at them from the other side of the barrier, noting that the redhead suddenly flinched. "I've come to take her home," he said quietly to avoid waking her. "You've had enough of her time, Kikyou."

Kikyou, who by this point, had enough time to sort out her emotions in solitude, glared up coldly at Naraku. The barrier that held seemed to strengthen up even more with him nearby. "Look at what you've done to her," she hissed. "This is the most sleep she's gotten in days."

"She all but sleeps all day." The evil hanyou snorted his contempt. "I'm surprised she even bothered to see you today."

"You obviously don't pay attention to her close enough," Kikyou almost snapped. "Every time she comes to see me, she complains about how little sleep she gets each night."

His ruby eyes narrowed. "She is safe with me, I haven't hurt her. I've never raised a hand to her." Naraku lips curled as his miasma started to eat away at the ground beneath it. "When we get home, I'll put her to bed myself."

"It isn't you that she fears harming her," Kikyou murmured, her voice dropping. "The environment you put her in is killing her at a faster rate than when she first arrived here."

"When the child is born, I'll give her a new body that isn't so... _delicate_. It won't be too much longer. Our child is stronger every day." Naraku brushed the miko's words aside, seeing his mate flinch again. "You might as well let me in before the temper tantrum starts."

The miko's face paled with slight revulsion at the thought. A completely new body? Was that even necessary? She herself understood more than most at how lackluster a reanimated body was compared to a normal body. Looking down at Lynnette, she shook her head. There had to be a much better alternative than that. Naraku sounded as if he already knew that she would die and wanted to cheat death so that he could revive her.

Deciding that the young woman should have a choice on whether or not she wanted to return to Naraku's castle so soon, Kikyou lightly shook Lynnette. "Lynnette..." she murmured, hoping to wake the girl up before the sickness kicked in.

Lynnete made a face as she reluctantly pried her eyes open. "Ki... Kikyou?" She whispered sleepily, not seeing how the hanyou's ruby eyes narrowed in wrath and jealousy.

Kikyou suppressed a sigh, now partially regretting the fact that she woke the woman up from her first real sleep in days.

Lynnette slowly rolled over, only to freeze mid-motion and clamp her teeth tightly together. "Behave in here, it's just me moving," she managed as her cheeks turned green with the effort not to puke in front of the miko.

The miko looked over at the fuming Naraku and felt mild satisfaction for being the cause of such irritation. "...Do you need help getting back to your chair?" Kikyou pressed, allowing some time to pause in case the young woman did get sick.

"If you can carry me over there near that tree, I'll throw up in decent privacy." She suddenly raised her head and looked straight at Naraku. "And not one word from you about it. What did you want, anyway? I'm not going to get eaten, you know. You made sure of that." There was bitterness in her voice now, which sounded strange coming from Lynnette's usually cheerful self.

Keeping her face expressionless, Kikyou nodded her head, not liking the bitterness in Lynnette's tone one bit. She carefully picked the girl up into her arms and set her down beside the chosen tree.

Naraku waited until the heaving and distressed sounds stopped before answering. "It was getting late and I was concerned about the safety of the mother of my child." He smirked then, deciding that she'd earned a verbal slap. "You've been asleep all day, my dear. Was this really your plan for the day after Kikyou walked all this way to see you or were you just being _lazy_?" Her heartbroken stricken look was all he had hoped it would be.

Kikyou felt her hands tightened into fists when she heard Naraku's harsh words. The look that she saw on Lynnette's face didn't help ease her anger in the least. It took all of her self-control not to latch an arrow onto her bow and watch with satisfaction as he broke into pieces. However, as much as she wanted to do so, she knew that she couldn't. The moment she attacked would be the moment Naraku would prevent Lynnette from seeing her at all.

Lynnette looked up at Kikyou after wiping her mouth. "Is it really that late Kikyou? I'm sorry," she said sadly. "I didn't mean to sleep all day, I was so happy to see you."

The older woman turned to look at Lynnette and forced a smile. "It's alright," she murmured. "I knew you needed to rest."

"Kikyou..." Lynnette sighed and allowed herself to be picked up. "You don't have to lie. I know you are disappointed and angry." Her voice was vulnerable and she sounded on the verge of tears. "I'd ask if you wanted to stay the night, but..."

The miko heard her wavering voice and shook her head, not wanting to see Lynnette's tears. "Disappointed…perhaps," she admitted. "But I'm not angry with you..." She resisted the urge to glare at Naraku; the man who her anger was truly directed at.

Naraku smirked. "Time to go home, my dear." The purred endearment was a violating caress. "You should know better than to sleep on the ground. Kikyou is very busy and you've wasted enough of her time."

Kikyou knew that sooner or later she would have to dissolve the barrier and shot the young woman an apologetic glance before it finally came down. "I'll come back to visit in a few days like I usually do," she promised.

Lynnette managed a smile but still looked heartbroken as she put on her seatbelt. "Have a save journey Kikyou... my friend." She ignored the way Naraku's arm draped over her shoulder like an embrace.

The older woman nodded her head as she picked up her archery set. "Thank you, Lynnette," she replied. Silently, she told one of her shinidaimachuu to move forward so that it could perch on her hand like a goodbye embrace of sorts. She greatly disliked seeing Naraku draped over her since she was beginning to notice how wore down Lynnette appeared.

Her eyes lit up briefly and she smiled at the shinidaimachuu. "Take care of everyone for me." She kissed it on the head. "And be careful."

The soul collector almost seemed to nod before it went back to wrap itself around Kikyou's hand. It was as if the creature was relaying Lynnette's words back to the miko.

Lynnette looked sad as she watched them depart, ignoring Naraku walking beside her until she reached her room. "What?" She snapped, blocking him from following her in.

Naraku's eyes narrowed in the slightest, thinking over what he saw with Kikyou. His indecisiveness was making Kikyou win her over faster than he worked. It was unacceptable to him! Something had to be done before he lost her completely.

When he didn't answer after she waited for a minute, she quietly backed up just enough to slide the door shut in his face. A minute later, the sounds of her throwing up again were heard from the bathroom that adjoined her suite.

Naraku's hands tightened into fists at his sides as all of the calm he had kept at bay for so long went flying out of the window. Closing the door in his face seemed to be the last straw for him. Grabbing the side of the door, he slid it open with a rough force, enough to startle anyone. Glaring at Lynnette's stomach as opposed to the woman herself, he hissed, "Quiet!" in order to get the "child" to still itself.

Feeling the quiver within her, Lynnette spat in the thing that was supposed to serve as a toilet one last time before allowing herself to breathe again, trying to get her breath back from heaving so hard.

The dark hanyou approached her bed but didn't touch her or the furniture. Now that he knew that the child within the mother was still for the time being, he poised himself to speak. "Lynnette, I will no longer tolerate your defiance regardless of if Kikyou is around or not," he growled. "Your defiance is making our child hurt you more in the process."

"What difference does it make? It will do as it chooses whether I behave or not. Even before you tampered, it was never gentle. I'm not going to act like a dog to your whims just to live another day!" Her eyes were closed as her hands tightened in her lap. "The bottom line is that this thing isn't mine, it's wholly yours. There is _nothing_ of me in this creature; I'm smart enough to know that."

Now sure that she could move without needing to puke again, Lynnette rolled to the window, opening it to look outside at what view there was. She ignored the raging hanyou that was glaring at her. "Was that all you wanted?"

Before either person could say anything else, a sudden voice sounded through both of their heads at the same time. "_Hello, _loving_ parents..._" Though the voice sounded like a small male child, the tone was very intelligent. The voice also held a hint of maliciousness in it.

The redhead jumped and jerked as though she'd been shot, her face drained of all it's color as she muttered a prayer in her native language, staring at her distended midsection in shock mingled with terror.

"_Don't worry too much, _mother_..._" the child purred in her head, using her own language against her. "_I'll try not to bite too hard from now on..._"

If possible her face got even whiter. "How long and why...?" Lynnette replied, trying to keep her voice steady.

Instead of directly answering the first part of her question, the child remarked, "_It's a shame that you don't want your own child..._" It was as if he was taunting her. "_And I haven't spoken until now because I wasn't quite as well developed..._"

"It was not a choice I made, and you hate me too," she replied, feeling a familiar burn start in the back of her throat again. "Why do you call me mother anyway?"

Naraku was only mildly surprised at the rapid development of the child's intelligence. He was only surprised due to the fact that it had spoken before the time he had predicted.

"_What else should I call you?_" the child pondered. "_You seem to be fascinated with the powers of women and mothers..._"

"You know better than anyone there is no temple in this body. And if you were truly my child I wouldn't be untouched!" She snapped in pained fury, forgetting that this was a 'child' beneath her heart, then suddenly gasped and doubled over in agony. "And I would appreciate it if you stopped aiming for my heart!"

The child stopped in its attempts to "punish" her for the tongue lashing she had given him. "_That really hurts, mother..._" he taunted, feigning a pout in his mental voice. Quieting himself in her mind for the time being, he spoke to Naraku next. "_I dislike that miko that she's constantly around._"

The redhead was sucking in air, trying to calm down. "Try being on this end." She managed after swallowing, then glared at the smug look on Naraku's face.

Naraku was amused at the child's remarks about Kikyou. Though, when one thought about it long enough, it wasn't much of a surprise that the being rejected the miko. Too much pure powers sickened the demonic energy that surrounded the child.

"If you don't like her so much, then hurry up and get out of me!" Lynnette muttered, summoning a strange silver glow to her hand, reminding her 'child' that she was a priestess too.

The child purposely fidgeted to the point of making her double over yet again. "_I wouldn't dream of leaving my mother earlier than scheduled... I love you too much to do that..." _he explained. She could have easily heard the smirk in his voice._ "Thanks to your _nurturing_, I've grown up enough so that we can talk now... Don't worry, you'll learn to love me since I already adore you so much._"

"You were eating me alive and not letting me eat, I hardly call that nurturing." Pressing her lips tightly, she cleansed the bed again before releasing the power she had called. "You have an odd way of showing adoration."

"_Perhaps I got that from my father?_" the child suggested, almost laughing in her mind.

The redhead took off her shoes, glaring at her abdomen. "Why do you both say you love me when it's not true?" She asked, parking by her bed so she could lay down.

"_I don't lie like my mother does,_" the infant remarked despite knowing that it was rhetorical. "_You should cover up or else you might get sick since you've been spending so much time sleeping outside..._"

She paused. "What do you mean, _I_ lie?"

"_You've wanted a child of your own for a while now, mother,_" the infant cooed. "_And now that you'll finally have me, I hope that you won't plan on leaving me after I'm born..._"

"I am barren." she shot back, feeling pain knife her heart, as she snuggled under the thick covers, then suddenly stiffened when she felt Naraku warming her back. "You have an awfully short memory," Lynnette commented dryly, wondering if she should kick the hanyou.

"_But father is only trying to help..._" the child replied. "_Haven't you realized by now? It makes me happy when you two get along..._"

Her eyes narrowed. "You are pushing it." She warned.

"_Am I upsetting my mother?_" the infant mocked.

In answer, she poked her belly where it was the hardest in reprimand. "Behave."

The infant quieted itself for a few moments, as if to pause for pouting.

She shifted away from Naraku, cocooning herself in the thick furs and taking off her glasses to sleep.

The child finally spoke up before the young woman could drift off to sleep. "_I'm sorry for angering you, mother,_" he murmured through her mind. "_Goodnight._" Almost seeming to smile like an innocent child with just his voice. "_Sweet dreams._"

"Goodnight," she murmured.

As Naraku watched the young woman prepare to sleep, he inwardly smirked as an idea sprung up in his head. '_Perhaps I can use this child to my advantage in order to gain her trust..._' Once Lynnette was asleep, Naraku pulled her closer to him and kissed the back of her head in an affectionate manner. He had a lot to plan out tonight.


	18. The art of compromise

Author's note: Thanks to Turtlequeen2 for all of her help writing and editing this chapter. Sorry this chapter took so long, computer and family problems. Enjoy the read everyone!

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When the morning finally came, it was no surprise that the infant was awake before his mother was. Being one with abnormal intelligent thought, he was able to think about the multiple issues he had between Naraku and Lynnette. Since he was so preoccupied with his thoughts, he didn't think to wake up his mother just yet. He could feel her heartbeat rattle through his mind as no other sound was present at the moment. He knew that his mother was sad and the thought of it made him want to frown. Despite how he was Naraku's spawn, he already felt a natural pull to Lynnette and disliked knowing how upset his mother was.

Lynnette's sleeping thoughts were restless with pain-both physical and emotional-lancing though the brightness that was her core spirit. At the forefront was weariness, the sense that it was too dark in her environment. Already the woman seemed eager to die, if only to end the pain she had been feeling both before and after his 'conception.' Naraku's imprisonment had been eroding her strong will, leeching away her spirit. Kikyou's visits were like the sun, reviving her but fading too quickly to store any warmth against the coldness of Naraku's lair.

The baby felt all of this energy from Lynnette and it did not sit well with him. It wasn't natural to him. He could tell that the woman had once been much brighter before Naraku's involvement.

Shifting, his mother began to stir, sending small flickers of awareness down her core self. _'Should I even bother waking? Or stay in my painless dreams?'_ Lynnette thought, making as though to curl tighter. _'I don't even know what time it is...'_

Deciding that he wasn't _quite_ nice enough yet, the infant decided to speak. "_Good morning, mother..._" he purred within her head.

Her sudden jolt to awareness was like a bright light lancing though her, her heart beginning to pound painfully as her body protested the sudden jerky movement. "Wha-?" she yelped, jerking her head off the bolster that served as a pillow. Lynnette was less than bright when she first woke up.

"_Did I startle you?_" the child replied in a mocking tone.

"Yes, you did," the redhead snapped crossly, breathing deeply as she bore the pain and waited patiently for it to subside. "What do you want now?"

"_I was bored and decided that I wanted to spend some time with my mother,_" the child replied in an innocent tone. It was the type of voice a child would use to often hide anything bad they would do.

"Did you have to wake me up?" The redhead demanded crossly, in no way appeased. Clearly the pain had put her in a foul mood.

"_How else would I be able to talk to you?_"he asked.

"Patience is a virtue," Lynnette snapped, carefully rolling on her side to avoid more agony. "I was having a good dream for once."

The child fell silent for a moment, picking up on the bitter sadness seeping through her core. He knew that it didn't suit her well at all.

When the pain stopped she carefully sat up on the edge of the bed, naked save only for her glasses, and rubbed the crust from her eyes. "Do you need to use the toilet?"

To answer her question, he nudged her gently. "_Kindness is all I ask for,_" he jeered, referring to her polite wording. "_You should dress warmly today, mother. It would be bad for you to get sick since it's so cold outside._"

Her cheeks turning green, she got in her chair and made her way to the bathroom. "I was going to go back to bed where it was warm."

"_Well, I was wanting to discuss an idea I had,_"the baby remarked.

Closing her eyes against the familiar nausea. she sat on the cold pot and made herself as comfortable as she could. "Oh?"

"_Mother has friends she wishes to see, correct?_"the baby began in an innocent voice.

Unbidden, hope shot though her heart, lighting up her soul to the point of pain as longing washed though her. "Don't toy with me." Lynnette snapped sharply, squeezing her eyes shut as they stung with hopeless tears.

"_I'm not, mother__,_" the child assured her. Something about his voice rang with truth. "_I think I can easily get father's agreement _if_ you allow me one thing._"

"And that would be?" She strove to control her voice while her emotions stormed wildly in a way the 'child' had never seen before.

"_All I ask is that you let me get to know you more,_"the infant murmured, the smirk practically heard in his voice.

"You're already under my heart and snooping through my head-which you should _not_ be able to do-what more do you want?" She exploded, trembling with mingled fear and rage.

The infant's eyes would have narrowed if he could have done so. Annoyed with her stubbornness, he squeezed her heart for a moment. "_All I want is my mother's undying love for me..._" he remarked before kicking her and inducing her to cough up black waste.

Instead of puking, she purposely clamped her hand over her mouth and swallowed, sending the waste right back to him. "You sound like Naraku." Lynnette remarked when she could talk again, starting to shiver as a cold sweat broke out on her emasculated body.

Even more irritated by what she had done, he pushed back even harder. "_Well.. what do you expect?_" he replied in a semi-calm voice. "_He is my father, after all.__.__._"

She hissed sharply. "Do you really want to start that kind of a war with me? because I _will_ win," Lynnette warned.

He contemplated doing just that but relented, knowing that this wasn't the best way to get what he wanted at the moment.

The redhead relaxed slightly, waiting on the toilet for him to finish. "Good boy."

Amused, the child felt like smiling at such a simple praise. It was almost ironic to hear her say that to him.

"Are you done yet?"

"_For now, perhaps..._"the infant trailed off.

Knowing better than to answer that, the shivering redhead sat on the toilet a few more minutes before getting back into her chair to dress. While reaching for her warmest 'normal' clothing, the child pulsed in warning, making her hiss and pull her hand back. "What?" She snapped.

"_Why do you dress in such worn rags?_" the child questioned before he could stop himself from asking it. Didn't his father provide her with better clothes than this?

Lynnette cocked her head and looked at the slightly faded brown sweater and warm matching pants. "It's comfortable and warm. I don't need to dress up. At least I can dress myself in these. I'm not wearing anything Naraku gives me!" Eyes flashing in defiance, she reached for the sweater again, trying to keep her teeth from chattering.

"_But doesn't such clothing make you cold?_"he pondered.

"Not as cold as I would be in his fancy clothes, but at this point, I'm _always_ cold."

The infant silenced himself for a few moments, realizing just how frail of health he was making her. The fact that she didn't feel mere body warmth was an alarming warning sign.

Taking his silence as agreement, the redhead wasted no time dressing, layering her clothes with another shirt under the sweater. Then she allowed Buzzer to summon the swarm to handle her hair. There were a few of them that wouldn't even let her pick up the hairbrush now. As she greeted them, she blew on her hands to warm them. "I take it you want me to find your father?" Lynnette asked.

The baby would have nodded if he had the ability to. "_That would be nice, actually..._" he noted, not wanting to nudge her again.

Lynnette sighed, regretting having asked the question. "All right, but after that I'm going back to bed, it's _cold _today!"

"_That's fine by me..._"the baby replied.

When Buzzer's swarm was finally done with her hair, Lynnette 'bit the bullet' and went hunting for her captor, growing more cross by the minute when she didn't find him right away. "Did he leave suddenly?" She murmured, wondering if she could finally get out of this cold dark hole.

Just as soon as she said those words, Naraku appeared in front of her, looking intrigued knowing that she had searched him out for once instead of the other way around. "...Is there something you wish to say to me?" he asked in his usual smooth tone.

The redhead shook her head. "Not me." She corrected as she pointed to her distended midsection. "Him."

Naraku arched his eyebrow, waiting for the infant to begin his mental speech.  
"_Father, I think it would be best if mother goes out to see her friends today,_"the baby began.  
"And why would I grant that?" the dark hanyou questioned, sounding suspicious.  
"_I believe mother needs a day to catch her breath,_"the baby replied.

'_I need longer than that... a year maybe,_' Lynnette thought to herself, concentrating on keeping her face expressionless as she held her tongue. She flexed her hands slightly, trying without success to bring some warmth into them as she waited for Naraku's answer.

"Hmm..." Naraku trailed off, wondering if the infant had another motive to separate her from him. However, knowing that if the baby would dare to betray him so soon, he'd just as quickly destroy it. Not worried too much about what would come of it, he raised his eyebrow and looked at the young woman. "So I take it that he already told you about this before you came to talk to me?"  
"Why else do you think I'm actually out of the bed?" She countered, refusing to shiver in front of Naraku. "At least in bed I'm not cold."

Naraku peered at her more closely as if examining her. He could easily tell that she was cold just by how stiff she appeared in her chair. What was even more apparent was how pale her skin now was. Perhaps the infant had the right idea? "How long do you think would be best?" he asked out loud, addressing the infant.

"_Oh... I wouldn't give her more than two days... I wouldn't want her to get too used to the outside and then have to readjust to the air here..._" the baby chuckled.

Lynnette hissed in displeasure. "A month," she countered firmly.

"_Are you sure that is wise, mother?_" the infant replied, almost in a questioning tone.

"I want to be in the sunlight for a decent amount of time," she snapped fiercely.

It was of no surprise that Naraku didn't like the idea of being without her for an entire month. "Two weeks," he said in a compromise.

"Done," the redhead answered, blowing on her hands again and trying in keep her teeth from chattering. "And no cheating this time." Lynnette glared at him. "I want a full two weeks without you peeping at me or bringing me back early for no reason."

Wanting to compromise again, Naraku said, "I'll send Kagura out after a week to get a report on your condition."

"Why not send Buzzer or one of his friends?" The redhead countered shrewdly.

Naraku almost frowned, not sure of how well he could trust Buzzer specifically. "Will that put you at ease?"

She nodded. "It would; Buzzer is discreet and won't announce my presence for miles around. If Kagura was going back and forth, there's bound to be curiosity and it will draw attention that might be unwelcome."

It was then that an idea hatched in the man's mind. With a smirk, he murmured, "Fine, I will grant you this if you follow my whim for today. I will even go as far as to extend your time to three weeks."

Lynnette rolled back a little, narrowing her eyes in supposition as though he grew another head. "And that would be what?"

"Two things, actually..." Naraku trailed off. "One would be another kiss and the other would allow me to stay with you on your bed while you nap."

Lynnette made a face. "Why?"

"For one, our child likes to see us being close... and another reason is that I just enjoy it, simply put," Naraku admitted.

Bowing her head, she swallowed discreetly, trying to regain her composure while the very idea made her skin and soul crawl. If she'd had a stomach, it would have been twisting up in knots. Though, with all the stress she'd been under, it likely would have started bleeding anyway.

Though the infant did agree with Naraku's reasoning that seeing them get along made him feel better, he didn't enjoy knowing that his mother was getting sick at just the thought of Naraku touching her.

Picturing how happy Kagome and the others would be, she took a deep breath to steel herself and reminded herself that she'd be sleeping anyway. "Fine. Three whole weeks with no tricks or peeping."

Naraku nodded his head in agreement, telling her that he would keep to his word this time.

Not giving herself any time to rethink the idea-and extremely grateful that there was no way she could throw up-Lynnette turned around to start packing in her room.

By dusk, Inuyasha and the others had decided to stop for the night and rest. Volunteering himself to get more firewood in order to give himself time to think to himself, the hanyou raced off into the woods. Ever since Lynnette had been gone, everyone's moods had been full of gloom. And as was with Kagome's new outlook, her mood became darker than ever.

After cutting down a tree and slicing it apart to cut into logs, Inuyasha paused in his movements to pick up the wood. A familiar scent passed under his nose, making him growl out of impulse. It was Naraku's scent. However, as the scent came closer, he realized that it wasn't Naraku at all. "Lynnette!" he gasped, dropping what he was doing in order to rush out to meet up with the young woman.

Rolling into view, Lynnette's pain glazed blue eyes lit up a little as she managed a smile. What she didn't know was that she looked far worse than the last time she'd visited. The dark circles under her eyes made her look even more like a skull while her distended midsection bulged out obscenely compared to the rest of her. "I'm home," she said softly, holding out her hands as tears filled her eyes.  
Inuyasha was at a loss to do for the moment, seeing her hands held out to him and her eyes filled with tears. "Lynnette..." he murmured, not liking her sickly physical condition and the sadness ebbing off of her. He wasn't the type of guy who just ran around giving out hugs, but something within him compelled him to move forward. Glad that there was no one around to witness it, Inuyasha decided to give in and bent down to place his arms around her. "Welcome back," he replied softly against her ear.

At his welcoming touch, she choked back a sob of relief then burst into tears as the dam broke. "It's you, it's really you. Is it you? I'm not dreaming again?" She gasped though her tears as her body shook hard with the strain of her pent up emotions.

The hanyou frowned, hating when any woman cried in front of him. "You're not dreaming," he assured her, rubbing her back slowly. Inwardly, Inuyasha was growing angry as he began to realize how weak she had gotten over the past few weeks apart from them. What the hell did Naraku do to her?

After what seemed like forever, her sobs died down to tremors and hiccups. She reached up to touch the hanyou's face gently with her cold fingers as though she was still afraid that Inuyasha would vanish in front of her eyes. "It's really real this time," she said in a voice that was a little hoarse, even as she shivered in cold.

Inuyasha managed a small nod despite hating how cold her body was. He pulled back a bit in order to remove his outer haori before placing it over her like a blanket. "Here, use this to keep yourself warm for right now. I was sent out to get the firewood so there's not much of a fire back at camp," he explained.

"You won't go far?" She asked as she snuggled under the haori as best she could while Buzzer hovered over her for a minute before perching on her head.

The hanyou shook his head. "I already have the wood chopped up. I'll be back soon," he replied before hurrying back into the woods to pick up what he had left behind. Within minutes he was back by her side with a pile of wood in his arms. "You can manage through this terrain, right?" He knew that he would have trouble multitasking if he had to push her through the grass.

"Why not drop off the wood, then come back for me?" Lynnette suggested timidly. "I'd offer to help carry the wood but..."

Inuyasha raised his eyebrow. "Are you sure?" He then paused. "...Do you want me to tell them you're back or come back for you so they can be surprised?" He honestly preferred the second option since he knew Kagome and the others would trample him to get to her.

She swallowed hard. "I'm scared I'll frighten them." The words were a whisper. "I can head towards the camp, but I don't want to slow you down..."

"I don't really want to leave you out here by yourself either..." Inuyasha murmured. "How did you even get this far out here in the first place?"

"Kagura dropped me off somewhere back there." She jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "I've been rolling for a while, I think."

The hanyou's ears dropped slightly once he figured out why she was so quick to tears. She had been lost for god knows how long. "On second thought... I'm not going to leave you alone." Inuyasha then paused in mid-thought, catching another familiar scent. Turning his head, he saw Kikyou standing off to the side of them. "Kikyou?"

The undead priestess stepped forward with a warm smile on her face, happy to see Lynnette again. "I pray that Naraku isn't around to breathe down your neck this time?" she commented.

Her tired eyes lit up again as she held out her hands to the undead miko in greeting. "Three weeks Naraku-free!"

Kikyou's own eyes sparked for a moment before she embraced the woman. Due to her newly discovered feelings for the younger woman, she couldn't help but savor the hug more than one would normally do.

Ignoring the stinging of her palms, Lynnette sighed in content. "Were you looking for Inuyasha?" She asked when they separated.

The miko shook her head. "Actually, I came here because my shinidaimachuu told me that they saw you around this area without Naraku around..."

"I wanted to see my friends and be in real sunlight," the redhead replied. "He got tired of my harping and allowed me a three week visit."

Kikyou looked suspicious for a moment. She found it hard for Naraku easily agree to such an arrangement. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but be a bit happy with Lynnette being free for the time being.  
Inuyasha watched the two interact, surprised at how close the two had become over the last few weeks. He hadn't noticed it much before but knew enough to know Kikyou had never shown such an astounding kindness to more than a few people in her life. He cleared his throat, feeling uneasy with it all. "Shouldn't we get back?" he asked. Now that Kikyou was here, maybe he wouldn't have to push Lynnette and carry wood at the same time.  
"Kikyou, do you think you could push me if I guided you? I'd roll myself, but my hands are pretty messed up right now..." Lynnette sounded tentative and shy, clearly not wanting to impose on the other priestess.  
The older miko nodded her head, making sure her archery set was secure around herself before moving behind Lynnette. "I'll be able to manage..."

"Thank you very much." The redhead tucked Iuyasha's haori closer to her and made sure that none of it dragged on the ground.

With the two settled in, Inuyasha decided to lead the way back to the campsite.

Lynnette was quiet during the trek back, she kept her eyes on Inuyasha as though he'd disappear if she let him out of her sight. "Is everyone okay?" She asked finally.

The hanyou paused in his step, not sure of where to begin. "...Well, I can say that no one's dead," he murmured. "But Kagome isn't doing too well..."

The redhead snapped to attention as best she could, wincing when the 'child' poked her. "What's wrong?"

"She's not like herself at all," Inuyasha admitted. "Almost worse than when you left the last time..."

She bit her lip hard. "Drat..."

Kikyou frowned slightly, also recalling the last time she had seen her reincarnation. "...I think if it weren't for the letters, she would have completely broken by now..."

Lynnette sighed. "I'll do what I can."

"I hope it will help..." Inuyasha murmured, his usual gruff tone gone at the moment.

Within minutes, the small group made it back to camp. They were just as quiet and solemn as when Inuyasha left them.

"Hello Kagome," Lynnette said softly, mustering up a smile. "I hope you didn't mind a visit."

Kagome's cold, silent demeanor seemed to almost transform as soon as she saw Lynnette. "L-Lynn!" she shouted, running over to her best friend's wheelchair before throwing her arms around the young woman. A glimpse of emotion appeared in her eyes once more as tears began to overflow.

Lynnette hugged the younger miko as tightly as her weakened body would allow. "Sorry about dropping in so late. I got a little lost."

Kagome shook her head against Lynnette's cheek. "I-I missed y-you so much!" she breathed out between silent sobs.

"I missed you too, I watched all of you in Kanna's mirror everyday." She stroked the other woman's hair. "He gave me three weeks this time."

The young miko looked up at Lynnette's eyes with tear-filled eyes. "...R-really?" Despite how it wasn't much time, she was just so desperate to spend time with Lynnette that she would have taken any amount of time. It was evident that her mind was in a much more fragile state than before.

"Yes, and Naraku promised he wouldn't drag me back early this time," Lynnette said calmly as she brushed the other woman's hair away from her face. "I might slow you down a bit though I'm afraid..."

"I-It doesn't matter..." Kagome murmured. "...I-I'm just happy that you're back... a-at least for a little while..."

Lynnette smiled. "Let's build up the fire so you can eat, you seem to have lost weight..." She sounded concerned.

The miko sucked in a deep, shaky breath, reluctantly pulling away and beginning to wipe her eyes. "...Have I?" she questioned. She honestly didn't remember the last time she ate, but never really cared enough to pay attention to her own waning health.

"Yep, you need food girl. That goes for all of you!"

Inuyasha dropped the firewood he had gathered. "Here," he said. He looked over at Miroku. "You can help me hunt."

The monk managed a nod. "Sure, if you insist."

She smiled at Miroku. "You still have your fingers? Sango, you're slipping!"

Sango managed a smile of her own. "...He's actually been behaving himself for the most part..."

The monk managed out a nervous laugh. Honestly, ever since he found out that not even groping Sango would be able to momentarily distract Kagome and the others from their grave situation, he stopped doing it.

Lynnette grinned, for the moment the tiredness vanished. "Did the sky turn green when I wasn't looking?" She joked, or tried to anyway.

"...You could say that..." Miroku replied.

She laughed, then smiled at Kirara and Shippou. "Hello you two. You might want to sleep downwind for a while."

Shippou seemed mildly alarmed but managed to pick up on what she meant. "...O-okay!" the kitsune replied.

"Kirara? are you hungry too? Do you want to go find a mouse?" Lynnette asked, bending to the side so she could pet the nekomata's head gently.

The nekomata shook her head and did a careful jump into Lynnette's lap, making herself at home on the woman. It was obvious that she had missed the redhead.

Lynnette choked off a pained laugh as she petted Kirara while Buzzer hummed on top of her head. "Sango, would you mind terribly if Kirara slept with me while I'm here? I can't stay warm at night anymore."

The taijiya shook her head. "Not at all," she replied with a smile.

"Thank you." The priestess smiled. "What can I help with?"

With the girls busy, Miroku and Inuyasha decided to go look for food.

"...Well... I suppose you could just help Kagome-chan with whatever she's going to do," Sango answered.

Lynnette turned her face toward Kagome with a smile. "Feeling better?"

Kagome managed out a breath and nodded her head. "...A bit..." she admitted quietly.

The other woman smiled. "Then let's get dinner going." As she spoke she turned her attention inward. _'Are you going to let me eat something too?' _She asked her 'child'.

The child within her kicked slightly as if to stretch. "_I suppose I can be generous today..._"he replied back.

_'Be on your best behavior while we're guests here,' _Lynnette said, sounding like a real mother.

"_I'll try my best!_"It wasn't known if the baby was mocking her or being serious by his tone.

Lynnette smiled at Kagome. "Need any help?"

The young woman was moving the wood into the center and ripped apart some paper in order to start somewhat of a kindling when she would need to light the match. "...You could probably help me rip paper..." the miko offered.

"Kitty, will you jump down so I don't hit you with the paper," the priestess asked the nekomata with a smile and a caress.

Kirara mewed almost in protest, not wanting to get off anytime soon, but eventually did so since Lynnette asked nicely enough.

With a laugh, the redhead blew a kiss at Kirara before throwing herself into the task with Kagome.

The infant went silent in thought within his mother. He was surprised to see her energy becoming so vibrant. Within minutes, Lynnette's weakened aura sprang back to life at its full peak. It was almost satisfying to feel such awakened powers around him.

Happily Lynnette chatted with the other women, and grinned at Inuyasha and Miroku when they returned. "Welcome back. Inuyasha, I got Kirara fur on your robe, sorry about that."

The hanyou only snorted at this comment, seeming like his usual self. It wasn't a big deal to him.

When dinner was made, Lynnette accepted a small bowl and reveled in the simple warmth of the food as warmed the rest of her. "This is very good..." She sighed in contentment

As soon as Kagome took the first bite of her meal, the young woman realized just how hungry she was. It was obvious that she hadn't eaten in at least two days. At the pace that one person ate one bowl of rice, she had finished off two.

The redhead smiled as she watched everyone eat, pacing herself. "Drink something too, Kagome, otherwise you'll get sick from eating too fast." Clearly, she was amused.

The girl paused when various eyes looked at her. A blush came over her features when she realized that her manners were about as bad as Inuyasha's. "...O-oh... right..." she murmured, reaching for a bottle of water and taking a modest sip.

Sango noticed Kagome's blush and smiled. It was the first time in what seemed like an eternity that she got to see this side of the miko.

"Same goes for you, Inuyasha," the other woman said with a grin and a wink.

Inuyasha only paused eating his food due to Lynnette's comment and snorted. "Keh! I haven't choked yet!"

"And I would be very sad if you started now," she pointed out.

Kagome looked over at Lynnette. "...He's a hopeless case, Lynn," she commented. "I've tried to tell him to eat slower for almost a year now."

Lynnette laughed softly and took another bite. "Still get points for trying." Buzzer made a sound of agreement.

Aside from a few polite comments, Kikyou didn't talk to the others. She chose to observe the group, interested in how much Lynnette's presence impacted them. Without her, they were all completely miserable, but now it was like life was back in all of them. It was fascinating.

After dinner, Lynnette helped clean up as best she could while Buzzer flew off somewhere. She then smiled sheepishly. "Now comes the awkward part; where exactly will I sleep?"

As if reading the redhead's mind, Kirara jumped away from her before transforming into her larger form. She then laid down and looked over at her with inviting eyes.

Sango chuckled. "...I think Kirara's offering to be your pillow.."

Lynnette burst out in honest laughter. "Thank you so much!" She rolled over to Kirara and hugged her head.

The nekomata nodded her head and let out a gentle growl since she couldn't mew in such a form.

Shippou grinned. "Kirara really missed you!" he said. "A lot of times she'd circle around for a while before going to lay down beside Sango."

Lynnette smiled. "I missed all of you, too. Kame, can you please take a look at my hands after I get ready for bed?"

Kagome nodded her head, but frowned. She hadn't taken the time to notice if Lynnette had any major injuries since she was too distracted with being happy that her friend was back.

"I'm fine, just my hands are a little tore up cause I got lost looking for all of you in the dark."

"Okay..." the young miko murmured.

After Inuyasha handed the redhead her bookbag in trade for his haori and Lynnette slowly made her way out of sight, she sighed and let the mask of cheerfulness drop. "You suffering in there?" She asked as she looked for a place to have privacy, already shivering with cold.

The infant frowned within her. "_I'm fine for the time being…_"For some reason, he liked the full complicity of her power swirling around him and wanted it to continue for at least a while longer.

The redhead stripped her clothes than paused for a minute. "You need to pee or poop?"

The baby then gave her a relevant answer so that she could do her business.

A few minutes later, she had cleaned up and was struggling into her pajamas. "At least Naraku's not watching me..." She muttered as her teeth chattered.

The baby thought to himself for a moment before he admitted, "_I like the aura that is around you now..._"

Having gotten the pants on, the redhead now struggled with buttoning her shirt. "That's because I'm around people that love and genuinely care about me, and who I care for in return," his mother replied.

From behind the bushes, Kagome called out, "Lynn, are you okay back there?"

Lynnette nearly jumped out of her chair. "Yes, almost done," she called back.

"Okay," the miko replied. "I was just asking since Miroku-sama and your saimyoushou friend don't seem to be getting along very well..."

Lynnette chuckled. "I'll be back in a minute," she promised, waiting for her 'child' to answer.

The infant was lost in thought. Just the mere presence of loved ones was able to produce such a drastic change in her? "_So if you were always away from dear father, you would always be this strong?_"

His mother thought about this, then decided to answer honestly. "I don't know, I think my mind and heart would, yes. But my body would still get weaker, slower than in his castle, but it would still weaken."

That made sense. He could already sense that she was growing weaker in slight ways even without Naraku's help.

"This body is ready to die, but I want it to be with those I care about around me so that I know they'll be all right afterwards." Finishing the last two buttons, she sighed.

The baby fidgeted inside of his mother. "_You should get warm, mother. It's cold out._"

Laughing softly, she smiled. "Goodnight. And no tricks"

"_I'm exhausted from all of the movements you made today..._'the baby inwardly muttered. "_Even if I wanted to, I don't have the energy..._"

Grinning now, she made her way back to the others. "Sleep well."

"_Good night..._"the infant replied before falling silent.

Returning to the camp she managed to give a smile to everyone. "Sorry I took so long."

Miroku wasn't exactly scared of the saimyoushou. But he wasn't necessarily wanting to become friends with it either. He sat close to Sango, fighting off the urge to smash it with his staff.

Buzzer was buzzing erratically, sensing Miroku's desire to kill it which didn't make things better for either of them.

Lynnette smiled politely and held up a hand above her head for Buzzer in a silent command, she looked absolutely in control and unafraid of the insect. "It's all right Miroku. Buzzer is mine; not Naraku's."

Miroku frowned, still on edge with it around. "...You can't blame me for being uncomfortable around it," he murmured. He didn't think he could ever befriend a saimyoushou since they always caused him to nearly die.

Kikyou was surprised by how quickly the hell insect fell in line with Lynnette's control.

Bringing her hand down so she could look Buzzer in the eyes, Lynnette appeared to be listening to the saimyoushou with a thoughtful look on her face. "All right, are you sure you can be back by the time everyone wakes up?" A loud disapproving buzz made her chuckle. "All right Buzzer, go ahead!" Still laughing, the redhead gave Buzzer a lift and watched him fly into the darkness.

The monk blinked, feeling better with the saimyoushou gone. "...Where did it go?"

"Buzzer says that it would be polite for me to let Naraku know I got here safely otherwise he might not keep his word." As she spoke, Lynnette idly examined Kagome's hands, ignoring her own for the moment.

Kagome looked a bit nervous, now beginning to notice how bad her hands were due to her lack of paying attention.

"They look worse than they really are, Kame." Lynnette apologized, seeing her friend pale. "Not so different from mine anyway.

"...I haven't been taking the best care of myself since you got taken again..." the miko murmured shamefully.

"Kagome, you have to take care of yourself so you can kick Naraku in the butt. Besides, you have to set an example for the others too."

The miko nodded. "...I know I should do that but... when you're in danger, all I can think about is getting back to you. I don't even think anything else."

"And if you are too weak to help get me out, then what will I do Kagome? He is very active in there and-truth be told-I might not be in any shape to help you get me out of there," Lynnette pointed out.

Kagome bit her bottom lip, fidgeting in her seat. "...Sorry, Lynn.. You're right."

Lynnette sighed. "I'm on borrowed time, Kagome. I think you should prepare yourself for the possibility that I will _not_ survive the birth," she said very gently.

Honestly, Kagome wasn't doing much of a good job with that possibility either. She brought her friend here to find her a cure. Despite how bad her depression was, she was always hopeful of Lynette surviving every obstacle thrown her way.

The older woman took Kagome's hands in her own. "Kagome, I didn't come here hoping for a cure, and I never expected one. I came here to be with you in whatever time I have left so that we could make memories you could smile at later."

The miko felt stinging tears prick the back of her eyes. "...I-I know... i-it's just that..." she trailed off.

"I know, I know." She hugged Kagome tight before letting go. "Patch up my hands, girl. We need to get some sleep."

The younger woman nodded her head, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Getting up, she went to get her first aid kit and set to work, cleaning the shallow wounds and wrapping up Lynnette's hands in gauze.

Smiling despite the pain, she thanked Kagome and let herself be wheeled to Kirara. "Okay kitty, how am I going to get in your back without hurting you?"

The nekomata gave a small whine before nodding her head towards Lynnette's exposed midsection. She tucked her legs in so that her large side could be used as a pillow for the young woman.

The redhead cocked her head for a minute. "Would it hurt if I was on your back?" she asked.

Sango frowned slightly. "...Would it help if there was also a blanket?" she pondered. She knew that Kirara was warm, but the ground wasn't.

The priestess frowned. "It might... two maybe? If we have them to spare..." She was trying not to think of how fast she lost body heat now.

Kirara's tails twitched, showing that she was prepared to wrap them around Lynnette's body if the woman would permit it.

Lynnette nodded. "That's fine, I apologize in advance if I pinch by accident in my sleep Kirara."

The nekomata let out another gentle growl.

Kagome got out a few sleeping bags and then gave Lynnette an extra thick one. "Here, I hope this will be useful."

Lynnette chuckled after looking at it for a minute. "Is this the same one that we used years ago when we went camping and we got stormed on?"

The miko managed a smile. "Yes, it is!"

The priestess grinned. "Then I think I'll be just fine."

Kagome's smile got even wider, making everyone around her stare. It had been such a long time since they had seen the girl look so happy.

Inuyasha and the rest of the group began to finally see the strong bond the two women had. The fact that Kagome only smiled her brightest with Lynnette around proved that there were many parts of the girl that only the priestess knew.

Yawning, Lynnette waited until Kagome arranged the sleeping bag to the miko's liking before nodding to Inuyasha and holding out her arms.

Inuyasha then carefully lifted the redhead out of the wheelchair and carried her over to the sleeping bag before setting her down. "You know, you shouldn't get used to me doing this all the time," the hanyou remarked, trying to play up his usual gruff attitude. Even so, he still did this type of thing whenever the young woman asked him.

She smiled and whispered in the hanyou's ear. "I know, but you are the only one who could carry both of us at the same time without getting hurt."

"Keh!" the hanyou only snorted, having no other response to give to that.

As Inuyasha laid her down, Lynnette grinned. "Thanks."

The hanyou managed a small nod of acknowledgement before pulling away.

Once the woman was flat on the ground, everyone was amazed at how big she had gotten in such little time. Even though she was in the time for only three months, she already looked as though she was five months pregnant.

Lynnette sighed as she snuggled in awkwardly. "I know I look like a bloated fish..." She managed a smile. "And smell like one too." Suddenly she looked around for Shippou. "Don't get any ideas over there!" The redhead's voice was a little not-so-jokingly alarmed.

The kistune jumped from the corner. "...I-I won't!"

Laying back down, the young woman met the hanyou's than the older miko's eyes. "I'm serious, don't let him do it," she murmured as she started to drift off while Kagome laid her bag next to Lynnette's.

Inuyasha huffed and sat down against a nearby tree after taking his scabbard out of his sash. Crossing his arms, he looked over towards Lynnette. "I won't let anyone get near her until after she wakes up," he said out loud.

Everyone around the hanyou flashed him a look of surprise. It was very unlike Inuyasha to say something like that.

To their shocked expression, the hanyou snorted. "Keh! She's already weak enough as it is. If she gets even more sick on top of it, she'll just slow us down," he explained.

Kagome overheard this and gave the hanyou the first directed smile in what seemed like ages. "Thank you, Inuyasha."

He averted his head, fighting off the urge to blush since he was unprepared for the miko's response.

It was well past sunrise and everyone else was awake except for Lynnette. The only reason the woman was still asleep was because she could barely sleep during the night. Between the pain she felt in her body and hearing the sounds of the outside were enough to make her wake up every other minute.

Kikyou frowned, looking over at the young woman with sympathy flashing in her eyes. Of course, since she was already dead, she didn't need any sleep. It was of no surprise that her and Inuyasha were the only ones who noticed how badly her night went.

A sudden spasm of coughing violently shook her small frame and Lynnette suddenly jerked herself out of the covers in a frantic attempt to get free of the cocoon. She didn't quite make it past Kirara before she puked black vile over and over again. Tears streamed down her face as she barely caught herself from falling into it. "Did you have to do that?" she asked in a horse voice. There was a pause a long pause before she spoke again as though in answer to a reply. "Now be nice, you didn't have to do it that way, you know you can't kick that spot! I was going to get up soon anyway..." Righting herself on shaking limbs, she sighed and spoke aloud. "Good morning everyone, my apologies." Buzzer and five of his friends made angry noises from where they had landed near Kirara. "Yes, yes, you can do my hair as usual-just give me a minute to catch my breath." A few minutes later, she dragged herself away from the puddle as color returned to her face. "Inuyasha, could you please be so kind as to put me in my chair? I'll go get cleaned up and handle this mess."

The hanyou paled at the strong stench of the bile, but nodded his head anyways, carefully lifting her into her chair. He was sure that even humans could smell it, let alone someone with a sensitive nose like him.

"Don't touch it, he's feeling cranky, so there might be acid in that," Lynnette instructed. Feeling embarrassed that everyone had witnessed this, she hurried for some privacy with the six hell insects following behind her.

Inuyasha scrunched his nose up. There was no way he'd touch it even if someone tried to make him clean it.

Sango and Miroku sat back with wide eyes, surprised at how violently ill she got. It was the first time both of them had seen it.

"...Does that happen often?" Miroku asked Kagome.

The young miko nodded her head with a sigh.

"...She must have been hiding it from us for a long time..." Sango murmured quietly.

Kagome nodded. "I knew about it, but never told her that I knew." Her hands clenched on her skirt. "I wanted to give her at least that much dignity, she is a very proud and polite person." As she spoke, she rolled up Lynnette's sleeping bag to put it in her bag. "It seemed kinder that way."

"I see..." Miroku remarked sullenly. "Would it be best to leave her alone?"

"Well, we all saw it, but I think it's best if we don't say anything until she brings it up," Kagome said after a minute. "We all ate and we are all packed up, so we can leave when Lynn is ready."

Everyone else nodded their heads in agreement with Kagome.

A good fifteen minutes later, Lynnette rolled back into the camp looking slightly annoyed about something. The redhead's hair was tightly braided and she looked as though she had tried to give herself a dip in the river. She was holding a large branch between her knees. "Everyone okay? Kirara, I didn't get you, did I?"

Kirara was back in her smaller form by this point and gave a polite mew in response.

Rolling over to the puddle, she jammed the branch in and gave it a good stir, ignoring the hiss. "He was very cranky..." Lynnette muttered. "Never been this bad before..."

Kikyou frowned, approaching Lynnette before Kagome had the chance. "Are you okay now?"

"He seems to be behaving for now." Lynnette frowned at the churned up earth, then at what was left of the stick. "That's the best I can do." She managed a smile for Miroku. "Don't worry, the other five left. They wanted to help Buzzer." The woman shivered despite the fact that it wasn't that cold. "Kagome, do you have my jacket in there?"

The younger miko nodded her head and went to fetch the jacket before handing it to her. "Here."

She put it on fast, though it didn't seem to be helping much. "Shippou, Kirara, are the two of you going to take turns or were you going to walk?"

Shippou blinked up at Lynnette. "What do you mean?" He was uneasy about climbing onto the woman since his last reprimand.

"Now that I'm awake, one of you can ride in my lap like you used to if you want, just be careful." Lynnette nodded at Inuyasha. "We can get moving now."

Kirara knew that Shippou was still uncomfortable with the idea since he didn't want to hurt her again. Taking the lead, the nekomata carefully hopped into the woman's lap.

Petting Kirara, she grinned tiredly at Sango. "I believe I've stolen your kitty, who kept me very warm last night."

Sango managed a small laugh. "Kirara's just very fond of you."

"It's so good to be around people again... it's very lonely there. I sleep most of the day," the priestess said, petting a purring Kirara.

Kagome smiled, walking up beside Lynnette as the group began to move. "You look a lot better too," she admitted.

"There's no sun there, the miasma covers everything, you can't even tell what time it is. It's so thick that sometimes I can't sleep for fear of being smothered. For the most part unless he wants something, Naraku leaves me to my own devices. I tend to sleep a lot because at least in bed I can stay warm," Lynnette explained. "Last night was heaven compared to the usual routine..."

Kikyou and Inuyasha both looked at each other with surprise written on their faces. She slept better then than at Naraku's castle for all of her restlessness?

After the group continued on their journey for a while, Kagome and Kikyou both stopped, their senses tingling.

"...I sense two shards," Kagome announced, already guessing who it was in her mind.

Inuyasha's eye twitched, also knowing who it was based on the approaching scent alone. "...Damn wolf..." he growled.

Before long, a whirlwind of air was spotted in the distance before it zipped up in front of Kagome and stopped, revealing a smirking wolf demon, clutching onto Kagome's hands with his own. "Hey, Kagome," he greeted, ignoring everyone else around them like he always did.

Kagome pulled away from Kouga and gently laid a hand on Lynnette's arm, letting her know it was okay so that the redhead could calm Buzzer down. "Hello, Kouga-kun." She didn't move from Lynnette's side.

Kouga found it odd that Kagome pulled away so abruptly. Usually, she'd look embarrassed before slowly doing it. Even so, he was too slow to catch onto the fact that the woman had changed. "...So, how have you been?" he asked, continuing to ignore the irritated hanyou behind them. "The mutt's been protecting you, right?"

Keeping one eye on Lynnette and her annoyed pet, Kagome answered with a slight edge to her voice. "I'm not the one who's needed protecting lately."

Lynnette frowned, recognizing Kagome's warning signal that she wasn't in a mood to play. "I beg to differ, dearest Kame; you can't go a day without me." Having gotten Buzzer calmed down for the moment, she smiled and patted Kagome's shoulder. "Though I think we've taken care of that, haven't we?"

Kagome turned her attention away from the wolf-demon and flashed a smile at her friend. "For the moment. Though, I'm not giving up yet, Lynn."

The redhead shook her head but an affectionate smile curved her lips. "I didn't think you would."

Kouga stood in place, feeling completely ignored and at odds. "...Who are you?" he asked towards the woman he had never before seen in his life. From just their interaction, he could tell that Kagome was very close to her.

Lynnette looked at him calmly. "My name is Lynnette."

Kouga thought to himself, thinking about how the name was familiar to him. His eyes then widened. "...Are you the same woman that Naraku had taken in?" he demanded.

"Yes," Lynnette answered flatly, her eyes turning cold. "It's none of your concern, however."

Kagome, now hearing Lynnette's warning sign, grabbed her friend's hand tight, ignoring the bandages on their hands. "Lynn, not now, not in your condition." Her voice was quiet and urgent. "Lynn!" She said a touch sharply when she got no reply.

It was when Kouga noticed Kagome's bandages that he finally took in the entirety of the young woman's body. Kagome was noticeably paler than before and had looked to have lost an unhealthy amount of weight. Glaring up at Inuyasha, he let out a loud growl and brushed past the women. "...What the hell happened to Kagome?" he demanded.

Inuyasha let out a growl of his own, feeling partial guilt from Kagome's condition, but also irritation. "You don't know a damn thing about what's been going on so just stay out of it, wolf!" he snapped.

"Kagome looks like she's been through hell and back and you expect me to stay out of it?" Kouga snarled. "And what the hell does that other woman have to do with Naraku!"

Miroku let out a sigh and stepped forward, putting his shakujou between the two angry men. "Stop it, both of you," he stated firmly.

"Lynnette-chan isn't an enemy," Sango added. "Naraku had kidnapped her while she was traveling with us."

Lynnette sat there silently, Kagome holding her hands tight. Finally she spoke. "Okay, I'm fine now." She appeared a little pale.

"No you aren't, Lynnette." Kagome replied grimly. "Take it you got an earful?"

"Yeah, your friend there just made him mad. Among other things, I was informed that he should have bowed in my presence." Her amusement sounded strained. "Where does he come up with these things?"

Kouga rotated himself to notice the two women talking with each other. He then also noticed Kikyou's presence. "...Why is she here?" he asked, referring to the undead miko.

Kikyou didn't seem to care much about Kouga noticing her. "I'm here because of Lynnette," she bluntly replied.

Lynnette turned pale again and gritted her teeth. "Kame, I think your friend better leave. _Now_." She sucked in a breath. "He's raising the dead in here and he won't quiet. I don't want to hurt a friend of yours if I can help it."

Everyone's eyes turned on Lynnette, noticing the girl pulse. It was obvious that she was in great pain.

Inuyasha growled at Kouga. "Leave, wolf. Or else I'll make you." He put his hand on the hilt of Tessaiga for emphasis.

"_Mother..._"the baby growled from within Lynnette, now having enough power due to the woman's fueled energy to manifest his voice in everyone else's minds. "_Make that wolf bow to you and apologize for his rudeness. You're being too polite towards those who are beneath you._" For added emphasis, he kicked against her stomach again.

Everyone's eyes widened when they heard the voice. "...W-what the hell?" Inuyasha murmured in shock. Was that from inside of Lynnette's body?

Kagome jumped a mile high and stared at her friend's distended midsection. "Lynn, was that...! It can't be-!" She forced herself not to move even though every instinct _screamed_ to run.

Lynnette didn't answer all of her attention taken with attempting to 'control' her son as she bent double in agony and saw stars before her eyes. "H-he…knows no…b-better!" She managed to gasp out.

Though Kouga wasn't the least bit intimidated by Inuyasha's threat, he was still confused about Kagome's behavior and didn't like the aura surrounding Lynnette. The voice he heard in his head was enough to tell him that he had overstayed his welcome. He knew that Lynnette was referring to him when she said her last sentence. "I'll leave for now," he announced. "But I will come back!" With that, he quickly ran out of the area.

The redhead breathed harshly and hoped Kirara was okay. Lynnette honestly didn't know if the nekomata had jumped to safety or not. "He left, and I'm not chasing him only to give him a lesson in manners."

Kikyou was the only person who looked slightly unnerved as opposed to completely shocked. Inwardly, a small chill ran over her already cold body. "...Naraku's infant is growing stronger while you're away from him..." she murmured quietly. "Perhaps that's why Naraku didn't imprison you permanently. He knew that this would happen..."

Lynnette shook her head. "He 'feeds' off me. Before I left, he could only speak to me or Naraku. What changed, I don't know." She sat up slowly, sucking in air.

"_I told you earlier, mother,_"the infant interjected. "_I like your energy around these people. It makes me stronger._"Nudging against Lynnette as if making a small threat, he added, "_And the next time that wolf comes back, I will make sure that he learns his manners..._"

Miroku was still trying to recover when he and the others heard the next line. "...This is going to take some getting used to..." he muttered out loud.

Lynnette brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Why did he make you so mad?" She asked her 'son', holding up her hand so that the others would stay quiet.

Not wanting the others to listen, the baby paused in thought and spoke so that only she could hear. "_I didn't like him. I didn't like how he spoke to you either. He's weak, mother._"

'I didn't like him either but..." Lynnette sighed. "That was still very rude," she said aloud.

"_Well, I didn't think he'd leave if I asked you to tell him to leave politely... he seemed too dense to realize a lot of things..._"the baby replied in defense of his actions.

Unable to help it, Lynnette burst out laughing until she was again gasping for air. "Why did you want the wolf to bow anyway?" she questioned once she got control of herself and nodded to the others to let them know she was strong enough to continue traveling for as long as they could.

"_You are fit to be a ruler with the amount of power you possess. I dislike it when anyone treats you with less respect than you deserve,_"the infant said in a matter-of-tact manner.

If Lynnette had been drinking something, she would have choked. _'Say what?' _She demanded privately.

The baby had to admit he was amused by his mother's surprised reaction. "_Even if father doesn't yet realize it, I wish to awaken you to your full potential._"

Careful to keep her outward facial expression polite, the redhead mentally sputtered, _'One: your assuming I want to lead, and Two: why would you do that for me? What's in it for you? I would think Naraku has more than enough power to get whatever you want.'_

"_There are things that I was cr__eated for that only I can do..._"the baby only replied.

_'All I say is no. I'm going to die as soon as your born anyway, and Naraku better not have any ideas of waking me from the dead, cause I'll kill him.'_

The infant blinked in surprise, not truly enjoying the thought of his mother's death. "_You would leave your own child alone?_"

_'I knew I was dying when I came here,' _Lynnette reminded her 'son'. _'Naraku has already signed my death warrant when he put you inside me.'_

"_And if for some reason you never die like you assume, what would you do?_"the child decided to ask.

_'I don't believe in miracles,' _Lynnette snapped back painfully, her heart bleeding.

Before the baby could comment, Kagome placed her hand on Lynnette's shoulder. "...Are you okay?" she asked, seeing the expression on her friend's face.

Taking a deep breath before summoning a smile for her friend, Lynnette nodded. "I'm fine, lecturing the child."

The young miko frowned out of concern. As much as she hated the child, she couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about.

"He-like his father-seems bound and determined to see me as an Empress. I'm telling them that their idea of putting me on a throne is not going to work."

Kagome's eyes widened. "...Why you? An Empress? Do you really have that much power?"

She snorted. "This wasn't my idea, but the 'child' seems to think so, as for Naraku..." Lynnette shuddered. "I don't even want to think about it, but I thought that he was just using me as an incubator." She paused. Ouch!" She glared at her midsection. "Well, it's true!"

Kirara, who was back in Lynnette's lap, bristled and hissed at the woman's midsection as if to give the infant a warning.

Miroku frowned in thought, disturbed by the thought of the woman being an empress. "...Is this Naraku's way of taking in a wife of some sort?"

Lynnette shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, feeling Kiara's purr vibrate her legs. "Please don't add to my nightmares, Miroku."

The monk shook his head. "That wasn't my intention... And I'd rather not picture it either."

Swallowing, Lynnette shook herself. "Let's go. I'm hoping we can find a good place to camp tonight, I'd like a nice warm fire..."

Kagome noticed her friend's reaction and narrowed her eyes. There was no way in hell Naraku would do that to Lynnette if she could help it!

Inuyasha almost growled, annoyed at how they had barely walked a few miles and the woman already wanted to stop for the night. He turned towards her, opening his mouth to speak when he smelt the terror ebbing off of her in waves. Immediately, the hanyou let out a frustrated sigh and crossed his arms. "...We're going to stop early today," he announced.

Kagome looked surprised then beamed at Inuyasha. "Are we going to find a village or camp outside tonight?" She asked calmly.

"Well considering that I don't really smell humans around here other than you, we're probably going to have to camp again," the hanyou remarked.

Kagome nodded. "Kirara, why doing you go with Inuyasha and see if you can find a good site?"

The nekomata nodded her head with a mew and carefully jumped off of Lynnette's lap.

Sango was surprised at Inuyasha's sudden actions. It wasn't like him to want to stop early for anyone!

Kikyou noticed Lynnette's unease before Inuyasha did. She could only imagine what was going through the woman's mind.

When they reached the campsite, Lynnette didn't say a word to anyone. She turned in right after dinner, but at midnight, she was still awake. Kirara had all but wrapped Lynnette in her tail, so she just laid there.

Noticing that the young woman was still awake, the older miko walked over to sit beside her.

Lynnette turned her head, trying to see who it was without her glasses. "That you, Kikyou?" she pondered softly.

The older woman nodded. "Yes," she replied.

She sighed. "I hate not being able to sleep anymore."

"It is unfortunate..." Kikyou murmured in return.

"He's watching me, but he promised he wouldn't," Lynnette said after a minute.

The miko's eyes narrowed in an instant. "Is he watching you now?"

"Yes," she shifted slightly. "Buzzer must have tattled on me..."

"What do you suppose you should do about this?" Kikyou asked.

"I can't do anything until he makes a move."

Sure enough, the next morning a thick packet was dropped in her lap by no less that six saimyoushou-including Buzzer. With a sigh, she brushed her hair out of her eyes and adjusted her glass so that she could read it before breaking the seal. "What is it now, Naraku...?" Lynnette muttered.

After the others woke up, they all sensed Lynnette's bad mood and decided not to bother her for the time being.

Even the infant stilled himself when he sensed her aura darken.

_Dearest Lynnette,_

I must say that I miss you terribly since you're away from the castle. I hope that our child is treating you kindly?  
An unfortunate thing has happened regarding your stay. Due to Kagura's lapse of intelligence regarding your arrival with your friends, I took it upon myself to give her proper punishment and checked up on you to ensure your safety...

Lynnette frowned and whistled softly, an unladylike sound that was rarely heard unless bad news was on the way. "Okay, this is starting out sweet... Something's up..." She muttered. "He better remember our agreement or else..."

_The saimyoushou told me about your fight with Kouga. While I admire your ability to honor that he is a friend of your group, I don't think it's proper for you to allow him to get away with speaking to you with such harsh language...  
Since you seem to like the nekomata so much, shall I get you a pet similar to it?  
_

The redhead's snort turned into a gasp of horror and it felt like a kick in the guts, which earned the 'baby' an unwarranted poke. "Does he remember the miasma? Even if I said yes, doesn't he realize that the pet would die under such conditions?" She demanded as her aura grew darker still.

Kagome stepped forward, not liking her friend's aura. "Lynn...what did it say?"  
Kikyou remained silent while the others kept to themselves.

Taking a deep breath to steady her voice, she reluctantly repeated what the letter said as far as she'd read. "I think there might be more..."

_I've been rearranging your room in anticipation for your return. The beads I've given you don't seem to put you at enough ease. I will create more barriers so you have more areas to go to that are unharmed by miasma. Perhaps... I shall even give you more tame areas so you can busy yourself with practicing with your powers?  
_

She choked when she read this part. "Um, am I going paranoid on top of everything else, or is Naraku saying what I think he's saying?" Lynnette asked, going white again.  
"_Is father trying to please you again?_"the infant interjected.  
_'I honestly don't know if this is a backhanded complement or not,'_ She admitted to the child as she let him read the letter through her eyes.

The baby remained silent as he read over the letter, not very surprised that Naraku's words reflected his own.  
Muttering a few choice words that made Kagome pale. "What in the world are you thinking?" Lynnette growled as she read the last bits of the letter.

"I trust that Naraku is up to no good again," Kikyou remarked, finally deciding to speak.

For an answer, Lynnette handed Kikyou the letter and rolled off to cool her temper.

The miko read the words over slowly, her own eyes narrowing as she began to figure out what had set the younger woman off. The man had a horrible sense of humor.

Kikyou couldn't help the mental cringe from reading the last line:

_I am eagerly waiting for the return of my bride and son. _

Kagome snatched the letter and if possible grew paler. "I'd leave her alone for a few hours..." She said finally.

Inuyasha was curious but had a rough idea what was going on. "...Do I even want to know?" he asked.

Wordlessly, she passed him the letter.

With the except of Shippou and Kirara, everyone eventually read the letter and each paled significantly. To know that Naraku wrote so eloquently and treated the woman so intimately was disturbing it its own right.

"...Naraku..." Inuyasha growled, glaring at the ground. This was getting a bit too ridiculous now!

Sango looked to where Lynnette had stormed off. "Poor Lynnette-chan..."

Miroku let out a heavy sigh, still pale. "So cruel even to a woman like her…"

Kagome looked sad, then summed it up quietly. "All we can do is be there for her when we can."

Everyone only nodded their heads in agreement while Kirara offered a quiet mew.

Inuyasha let out another low snarl. "I hope he's enjoying his fun for now because when we get to him, he's dead!"


	19. Consequences of a temper

Author's note: Thanks to Turtlequeen2 for all of her help writing and editing this chapter. Sorry this chapter took so long, computer and family problems. Enjoy the read everyone!

* * *

Her head tucked into her chest, Lynnette half-dozed as Miroku took his turn pushing her while listening to Kikyou and Kagome talk in murmurs behind her. It had been about two weeks since Naraku's letter. The redhead's days and nights were about average to the first one, but last night had been a particular trial. She'd given up on sleep just as the sun rose despite the hanyou's gruff protests. Even the 'baby' was unusually quiet for a change.

Kirara was curled in a sound asleep ball in her lap. The nekomata hadn't gotten much sleep either thanks to the constant shifting Lynnette was doing.

Kikyou was sullen since she knew that it'd only be mere days before Naraku would come to take Lynnette back again. She was sure he'd show up in person since he couldn't trust Kagura to do it in his place.

Inuyasha crossed his arms as he walked, trying not to walk too far ahead of the group. He was quiet; inwardly disturbed by the fact that Lynnette was still wasting away before his eyes despite how happy she was around them.

Opening her eyes, she looked around sleepily. "Anything yet?" she called to Inuyasha. It was rare that she spoke to anyone without being spoken to first now, giving off the sense that behind those sleep-glazed eyes she was conserving energy.

The hanyou almost narrowed his eyes upon hearing her voice. Though he was concerned about her well-being, he was also irritated by their slower than normal pace. There was clear tension between the two people since Inuyasha had fought with her a few days back. If not for Kagome's familiar incantation that sent him to the ground, he would have said more things that he would have regretted. Resisting the urge to snap again, he shook his head. "No."

Lynnette's lips twitched. While she understood the real root of the hanyou's frustrations- that weren't entirely about the slow pace of their group- She still had not forgiven him for saying that they'd go faster if she hadn't been stopping to vomit every few hours. The 'child' had all but tried to rip himself out of her body so as to attack Inuyasha in a rage at the same time Inuyasha was making a crater in the ground. The redhead wondered if that was the reason why the 'child' was so silent. With a sigh, Lynnette raised her voice again. "Go ahead and scout the area. It will be _faster_ that way, and I'm not waking Kirara." This was a verbal shot, but Lynnette couldn't stop the words before they slipped out.

Inuyasha's eye twitched, being smart enough to pick up on the tone in her voice. He turned and nailed her with a glare.

Miroku let out a loud sigh. "Inuyasha..." he warned, knowing that Kagome was also bristling.

"You know what?" the hanyou snapped. "Fine, I'll go scout the area! It'll prevent me from angering her _highness_."

Sango shook her head and noticed that even Kirara was bowing her head into Lynnette's lap.

Shippou rolled his eyes, perched on Miroku's shoulder. "He's an idiot..."

Lynnette sat up as straight as she could in her chair, her eyes flashing with silver light; the first time she'd looked alive in days. She opened her mouth to say something when a sudden intense pulse of rage had her suddenly grabbing her stomach as her power took on a tainted darker color.

Inuyasha's eyes widened slightly, more surprised than scared of Lynnette's flare of powers. When he saw how much pain she was in, he quickly realized that the baby was exerting power through her. "L-Lynnett-!" he got cut off when his own body pulsed and began to lift into the air. "W-what the hell?" he gasped out, beginning to struggle hard against the invisible force controlling his body. Before long, he found himself flying backwards, slamming back into the nearest tree and snapping the trunk in half.

Kagome's face paled completely when she saw her friend's powers and Inuyasha's back slam into the tree. "Inuyasha!" she gasped out on impulse. She knew that he had something coming to him for saying something so stupid to her, but such a reaction was a bit much.

The hanyou's body went still for several moments, clearly knocked unconscious.

"...Uh...shouldn't one of us help him?" Miroku asked, looking over at the younger man with concern lining his countenance.

"It... It wasn't me!" Lynnette gasped out, clearly still in agony as blackened blood trickled down the side of her mouth. "Everybody... _run_!"

After everyone backed up from Lynnette's body, she pulsed again as a pointed branch lifted the ground from another fallen tree. It then flew, aiming directly towards Inuyasha's shoulder with the intent to cause even more damage.

Not wanting Inuyasha to get hurt anymore, Kagome's body moved on its own. She charged forth and put her own body in front of his, ignoring the alarmed cries of all of her friends.

Feeling more blood flow from her mouth and dimly hoping the kitty wasn't covered in it, her vision went dark. Lynnette used the last of her strength to fling out her hand to somehow _twist_ the branch without knowing how. The branch suddenly whipped around and sped like a lance towards the redhead. She smiled a bloody smile and opened her arms as though to embrace this death.

The baby pulsed wildly, eyes widening within the womb. "_W-what are you doing?_" he mentally shouted in horror before exerting even more power to stop the branch from moving all together. He then made it drop to the ground mere inches from her chair.

Lynnette didn't answer, the forces that had went thorough her body proved too much as she fell forward out of her chair only barely conscious.

The young miko's screamed out for her friend, having to abandon Inuyasha so that she could catch Lynnette before her body completely fell onto the grass. "L-Lynn!" she shouted, cradling her friend's body in her trembling arms.

Kirara had long since jumped down when Lynnette's body began to pulse. She now stood by the taijiya's side.

Kikyou's already pale face paled even more when she felt such dark powers coming from Lynnette's body. She was surprised that the woman had enough energy to turn the branch around and honestly grew scared when the priestess was literal inches from instant death.

Miroku moved for Inuyasha, noticing that the hanyou finally began to stir.

The hanyou's eyes slowly blinked open, oblivious to what had happened moments before. He then groaned out in pain when he realized that at least one of his ribs was cracked. "...Fuck!" he hissed, his anger towards Lynnette completely gone by this point.

Coughing blood weakly, the redhead's words were a whisper that was barely heard. "I told you to run..." After speaking, the girl passed out in Kagome's arms.

Kagome shook even more as her eyes welded up with tears. "L-Lynn!" Her grip tightened.

Miroku let out a loud sigh. "...As it stands now, there's no way we're going anywhere tonight," he murmured.

"Keh!" Inuyasha snorted weakly, attempting to get up, but founded that it was painful struggle. "...Damn Naraku..." he cursed.

Sango let out a huff of air, relieved that no one had to die. "...Inuyasha," she addressed sharply, looking over at Lynnette so as to force his gaze to fall upon her unconscious body. "Watch what you say from now on. You could have gotten yourself killed!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, staying put in front of the broken tree. "It'd take more than that to kill me," he scoffed. He then paused when he saw the large pointed branch near the woman's chair. He knew that it wasn't there before. His eyes then widened when he realized what Sango was driving at. "...Y-you mean... that thing was trying to aim that branch towards me?" he gasped.

Miroku managed a nod. "...If it wasn't for Lynnette-sama's quick thinking, you would have been out of commission for several days instead of for a few moments."

The hanyou was surprised. Despite how angry she was at him, the woman actually planned to sacrifice herself before causing anymore harm to anyone around her. "Goddammit...!" he cursed, letting out a growl of frustration.

Kagome was holding Lynnette in her arms covered in Lynnette's blood, using her fingers to get all the blood out of her mouth. "Please Lynn... _Please_..." she pleaded with a trembling voice.

Kikyou noticed how still the other woman was and rushed over to Kagome's side, reaching her arms out to help support Lynnette. She frowned, noticing how cold the young woman's body was becoming. Something was definitely not right. Looking over at the monk and taijiya, she snapped, "Make camp and make it fast! Something is not right with Lynnette!"

Everyone around the undead miko paled in panic, all beginning to scramble with the exception of Kagome and Inuyasha.

Despite the throbbing pain the hanyou was going through, he still managed to slowly climb to his feet. It was obvious that if he were human, he wouldn't have been able to move at all.

Kagome turned to look at Inuyasha with a sharp glare. "Don't move!"

The hanyou let out a painful huff of air. "My injuries aren't as serious as hers. Worry about her first," he managed out before moving to lean against another nearby tree.

"She saved our lives idiot, and if- no, _when_- she wakes up, she won't thank you if you hurt yourself more."

Inuyasha froze when he caught Kagome correcting herself. There was a possibility that Lynnette would die now?

A weak pulse flowed from Lynnette's body into both miko. "_M...mother..._" came a broken thought that the two women could hear. It almost sounded like radio static the way the infant's thoughts faded in and out. It was almost as the baby was in an unconscious state.

Kikyou's eyes widened slightly, looking over at her reincarnation and wondering if she had heard it too.

Kagome gasped and gripped Lynnette's hand tighter. "What the-!"

Letting out a breath, Kikyou calmly placed her right hand on Lynnette's swollen stomach. Closing her eyes, she mentally grasped onto the connection and spoke. '_Naraku's infant... can you hear me?_'

The baby's mental panic at his dying mother subsided momentarily when he heard Kikyou's voice break into his consciousness. "_...Miko?_" he called out in what seemed like unending darkness.

'_I'm sure you're well aware of who I am by now so I will skip past the introductions..._' Kikyou began wryly. '_I know that your own life depends on Lynnette's survival and I also know that you have the ability to control all that is within her body._'

The baby remained silent, waiting for the miko to continue as he continued to calm himself.

'_If you wish for Lynnette to survive, you need to cooperate with us. You must prevent her from completely dying while Kagome and I give her our energy since she has run out of it. You must remain calm and still any negative energy towards her or else you will both perish this very night,_' the miko said in a serious tone.

The infant didn't like the thought of allowing a swarm of pure energy to enter into his system, but knew that there was no other choice. '_...Fine, I'll abide by your terms, miko..._'

Kikyou let out another breath before opening her eyes. "Kagome, you must listen to me carefully if you want Lynnette to wake up," she murmured.

Tears fell unheeded down Kagome's face. "She's so cold..."

Kikyou nodded. "...She's drained of all of her energy," she explained. "Only we have the ability to revive her since we are pure."

The young miko nodded. "That makes sense."

The older miko then looked over at Inuyasha. "She also needs to be purified of any negative energy towards her which means that you must apologize to her," she added.

The hanyou blinked in surprise, not expecting Kikyou to say that to him. "...Is that really going to help?"

"Very much so," Kikyou confirmed in a soft voice.

The miko then looked around the campsite towards everyone else. "If everyone has anything to say to her, now would be the time to say it. There should be no ill will held towards her during this process."

Everyone else appeared surprised at how the revival process would become a group effort.

Miroku looked between the two miko, beginning to piece together that the ritual Kikyou was going to perform wasn't a Shinto one at all. It was something entirely different and foreign that Lynnette had most likely told both of them at one point.

The kistune's eyes shifted before he jumped to the ground. "...Um... I really like Lynnette," he began. "...So... I've been feeling bad ever since I accidentally hurt her. I'm really sorry about it."

Kikyou gave the kistune a small smile of gratitude. "Anyone else?"

Inuyasha almost let out a groan, hating to sound sentimental at any given time; especially in front of other people. Keeping his weight placed on the tree, he spoke loud so that everyone could hear. "...I'm...sorry about what I said earlier..." he began slowly. "...To be honest..." He paused, sucking in a deep breath. "I was upset because I hate knowing by scent and sight that Lynnette is wasting away in front of us and we can't do a damn thing about it..."

Kagome swallowed. "I feel the same way, but lashing out at her isn't going to help things, Inuyasha, and it only causes her more pain because she knows the real reason even though her feelings are hurt."

The hanyou hung his head slightly. "...I know..."

Kikyou nodded her head, glad that Inuyasha was able to open up. "...Do you wish to say anything, Kagome?"

Shaking slightly, Kagome took a deep breath, but when she spoke, she spoke directly to Lynnette. "Lynnette Guinevere Gladstone, you know I love you and there is no possible way that would ever change. But why in the hell do you keep so much of yourself inside! You didn't have to hide your feelings from me, there was no reason to pretend around me. If you have something to say than say it, dammit! There's no way I would turn against you. Weren't you the very one who told me that there were many ways to love somebody? I know you were scared, dammit, and I'd like to kill a certain somebody for how they hurt you. I love you. Period! You are You, Lynnette. Maybe labels just don't fit people like you, but trying to keep your feelings inside hurt me too, you know." She brushed her friend's hair away from her face and let out her breath. "Love has no bounds Lynn, friends, sisters, partners. Does it really matter what the word is? I love you the way I love everyone here. Just... didn't be afraid of us anymore. That's all I ask."

The older miko fell silent as she prepared herself for what she was planning to say. Looking down at the younger woman's face, she smiled a bit. "...Lynnette, you've taught me many things I never thought I'd learn in my life or even in my afterlife. Even though I was brought back from the realm of the dead with despair in my soul and began to hate this world, you were one of the people who helped me realize that I was closing myself into a dark place I didn't need to be in..."

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he heard Kikyou speak. It was very odd to hear the miko address another person other than himself with such an... _affectionate_ tone of sorts. It was almost intimate and for some reason, it bothered him.

Kikyou let out another deep breath. "One could almost say that... I've developed feelings for you. A type of love I never knew was left in me..."

Far from being jealous, Kagome smiled at Kikyou. "Now I know Lynn will be all right..." She said softly.

Inuyasha's eyes widened significantly more at Kikyou's confession. She... _loved_ Lynnette? Since when? And why did he feel like an idiot for never noticing this before?

The infant sat in silence, perplexed at the ritual that was happening. For some reason, he wasn't at all surprised by Kikyou's confession. He knew better than even Naraku at how close the two women were.

Taking a deep breath and ignoring the blood on her hands, Kagome made herself more comfortable without moving Lynnette too much. "Do you have any ideas on how we are going to do this?"

Kikyou closed her eyes to think before nodding her head. "Give me your hand, Kagome," she murmured, holding her right hand out while laying part of her forearm against Lynnette's stomach. "With your other hand, take a hold of her hand as I will."

Without any hesitation, Kagome did as she was told, and gripped Lynnette's hand even tighter.

The older woman was surprised that there were no protests to this but was also glad for the same reason. "You need to close your eyes and imagine a thread coming out of yourself and connecting into Lynnette's body," Kikyou further explained, closing her eyes as well. "With this thread, you draw your energy across it so that it will flow into her body."

Nodding, Kagome commented. "That sounds more controlled than the method Lynnette explained to me."

"Our powers differ from hers so our methods must combine with hers to become something entirely different," Kikyou murmured back.

"I'm going to drill this girl when she wakes up," her reincarnation muttered darkly.

"Let us concentrate now, Kagome," the undead miko added before growing silent. Upon meditation, she found the mental thread and connected it, causing her body to glow in a pure magenta light.

When Kagome added her own power down the thread, the 'texture' of the energy changed to become more fluid and malleable.

Kikyou let out a slow breath, more out of rhythm control instead for the need to breathe. _'Wake up, Lynnette...'_ she silently thought. The more energy that flowed, the warmer Lynnette's body grew to their touch.

The redhead's body seemed to drink in the power as though it was thirsty earth. A few minutes later, Lynnette started to twitch and show signs of life again.

The infant felt ill, hating the purified energy flowing around him. It was almost like he was being purified at a slowly painful pace. '_...But she's alive..._' he mentally added, trying to control himself so that she wouldn't have to puke as soon as she woke up.

Ten minutes later, Lynnette opened her eyes, and immediately wished she hadn't. "Ouch..."

As soon as she felt the pull, Kikyou's eyes had opened along with Kagome's. Both women watched the redhead carefully, waiting for her to wake up. Once she did, relief washed over their faces. "Lynnette..." Kikyou began in a soft voice.

Breathing carefully, Lynnette laid absolutely still as she took stock of herself. "I'm back," she whispered while flinching slightly in pain.

Everyone around the three women looked relieved and happy at the sight of Lynnette waking up again.

Inuyasha could only wonder if Lynnette was able to hear what everyone was saying to her while she was unconscious.

Lynnette let go of Kikyou and Kagome's hands and weakly raised them to her temples. "Don't drain yourselves," she whispered.

"...How are you feeling?" the older miko asked in a gentle tone.

"I'm going to have a reaction headache for a long time, and I won't be able to use any energy until I heal up," she said, keeping her eyes closed.

Both women blinked confused at the young priestess, confused at what she meant.

"Think of it as an overuse of one's muscles. The part of my mind that allowed me to use my powers has been…_scorched_ I suppose." She sensed their continued confusion and opened her eye a crack. "This child is far more powerful than I am."

Kagome jumped. "What?" She shouted, causing Lynnette to whimper in agony.

Everyone else paled at the thought of the infant's growing power.

Kikyou wasn't completely shocked but was surprised enough at how quickly Naraku's incarnation grew within her.

When the pain lessened a tad, Lynnette continued, though it sounded like talking hurt just as much. "My worst fear has been realized. He does have my abilities, but he has them in their full potential. By all rights, I should not have been _able_ to stop him from killing you Kame..."

Kagome went cold and stared down at her friend. "You almost died."

Lynnette managed a breath of laughter. "I know, believe I know. I knew when I did it I wouldn't be able to stop the branch from hitting me."

Inuyasha's eyes widened, moving forward on impulse before stopping where he stood and cringed in agony. "D-Dammit...!" he cursed through his teeth. He had figured out what had happened to Lynnette. The girl miraculously reversed the branch so that it wouldn't hurt Kagome who was trying to protect him. He then turned and mildly glared at Kagome through his pain. "...Why the hell did you do something that reckless?"

Kagome kept a hand on Lynnette's shoulder as she whimpered in agony when the hanyou raised his voice. "The child knows that I'm important to Lynnette, I thought that he would abort the attack if I got in the way," she said quietly.

"You should have just let it hit me," Inuyasha snorted. "I would have lived. If Lynnette hadn't done something you could have been...!" He didn't finish his sentence, not wanting to imagine Kagome's death.

The redhead made a horrified noise of protest and made as though to sit up but the pain drove her back down again.

Kikyou flashed Inuyasha with a sharp glare, catching Lynnette. "Don't over excite her right now, Inuyasha," she lectured. "She needs to rest."

Kagome blinked as though just now noticing the blood that covered both her and Lynnette. "I'll get cleaned up and put some water on so you can get cleaned up too, teacher," she murmured quietly as she carefully moved Lynnette's head so it was in Kikyou's lap before rising stiffly to her feet.

Inuyasha's eyes briefly flashed with guilt before he fell into a sitting position. "Well, at least we can conclude that fighting is bad for both of our health..." he grumbled, not sure if he was trying to be humorous or not.

The infant sat dormant, still shaken up by the near death experience. '_I don't like how cold she felt..._' he thought to himself. He was surprised that she was still so humble despite averting his own powerful will. '_...And I'm already stronger than her..._' he thought, the last part making him smirk slightly.

Keeping herself very still in the older miko's lap, Lynnette just concentrated on breathing through the pain that lanced from one temple to the other. Inside however, her heart felt like ice. _'I can't control him anymore, he knows it now. There's no chance he'll let me live now that he knows I'm weaker than he is...'_ She thought dimly.

Now the baby felt like he had been slapped by her thought. Though he didn't bother to comment, nudged her gently and concentrated his powers to make her body pulse with warmth.

Lynnette twitched. _'When did he learn to do that?'_ she asked herself.

The infant inwardly chuckled. "_I have no intention of killing you, mother. And I can love you just as much as any normal child can_."

His mother swallowed painfully. '_And your father?_'

The child stilled for a moment, not honestly sure about Naraku. "_I believe... there is a bit of affection, but I also believe that he's only treating you with this much dignity because of your status._"

Lynnette mentally nodded. '_It feels odd when you start acting like an adult when you aren't even born yet... I'm almost dreading dealing with the possibility of Naraku wanting more..._' As she thought this, Lynnette shuddered.

He was at odds with the thought of having "siblings." Of course he knew that Kanna and Kagura counted, but they weren't really "true" siblings since he was of a new breed. "_Though I wish you and father would get along better... I don't think that it would be wise for you to have anymore children..._"

'_It really isn't up to me._' Lynnette reminded him.

"_Then I'll talk to him about it..._" he assured his mother.

'_I doubt he'll listen to you considering he created you._' She flinched as a particularly bad bolt of pain lanced her temples. '_And I am VERY, VERY angry at you._'

The infant didn't flinch in fear like he ought to, knowing that she couldn't really overpower him anymore. "_My apologies, mother..._"

Her mental voice hardened. '_I mean it!_' She snapped. '_You had no right to take over my powers like that._'

The child was surprised to say the least. The amount of bravery-or perhaps stupidity-in this woman was astounding. She was clearly in pain and yet she still berated him.

Waiting for a bolt to subside, she continued. '_I can still cut you out of my body and let you fend for yourself. You are in MY body, and the powers you were using are MINE, not yours!_'

The baby mentally cringed, now worried. He forgot about that little detail.

Pain sharpening her temper, she added something else. '_Remember, I am NOT afraid to die, whether by my own hand or at your birth, the end result is the same. And you are lucky to be alive right now after the temper tantrum you pulled considering I can't restore my own energies anymore._'

The baby knew that from now on he would have to be careful if he ever was tempted to make Lynnette sick. With any bad luck, he could kill her by making her go through too much pain.

Worn out, Lynnette didn't say anything else as she waited for Kagome to come back.

Okay, maybe his mother _wasn't_ as stupid as he thought. The infant calmed himself. "_Sorry, mother... I'll make you happy again..._" he then told her.

The next day, Lynnette was clearly still in pain, but told Inuyasha in a tight voice that she wouldn't slow them down anymore. "I'll keep my eyes closed and wear earplugs."

The hanyou mentally flinched when he heard Lynnette's words. They stung hard since it proved to him that she hadn't heard a word that he had said to her while she was knocked out.

When Kagome and Kikyou got her settled in her wheelchair, Kirara jumped on her lap purring hard as Lynnette put in the earplugs before petting the kitty.

Before long, everyone else on the group became on edge when they sensed a familiar aura. The sky darkened before Naraku appeared from the clouds within his familiar barrier. He frowned when he saw that Lynnette already appeared irritated before he even arrived.

Opening her eyes for a quick second, she closed them again when her head protested to the light as Lynnette discreetly removed one of her earplugs with a soft hiss of protest. "It hasn't been three weeks yet." Her voice was slightly above a whisper, but the redhead still winced in pain.

Naraku ignored how everyone else around Lynnette bristled in alarm. "I'm well aware of this," he remarked calmly. "However, the saimyoushou have told me how much misery you've been in these last few days."

"I'll live," she answered, ignoring the knives in her head. "I'm not a weak milk-maid."

To make matters worse for the young woman, the infant pulsed to attention once he sensed his "father" nearby. He almost seemed annoyed with Naraku's earlier than planned intrusion.

"Ow!" The redhead snapped without thinking. Putting her hand over her eyes to protect them, her lips twisted in pain. "Cut out the contest, damnit!"

Kikyou stepped forward, her eyes narrowed spitefully at Naraku. "Are you not aware that her presence at your castle would only make matters worse for her?" she remarked.

Naraku was mildly surprised to hear Lynnette curse since she rarely did it. "I know that at least the child would not react so strongly against others who happen to randomly show up in front of her."

Swallowing hard, Lynnette's voice was tight. "It's not like he's an adult," she managed with a shrug. "Think of it as a lesson in controlling his temper."

Inuyasha let out a growl. Did they really have to just give her up like this? Why couldn't he just kill Naraku while he was in front of him? His hand already inched towards Tessaiga's hilt.

Kagome's hand tightened on her friend's arm. "She's not going back."

Naraku smirked, looking at how tense the others were. "You lot wish to fight me again?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Keh! You honestly think that you'd be able to come down and take her without any resistance?"

"She needs to stay here with us in case she relapses." The miko's body was a study in tension. "In her weakened state, your... lair... would be poison," Kagome replied.

The evil hanyou's eyes narrowed at Lynnette's midsection. '_What were you thinking? You almost got the both of you killed!_' he mentally growled towards the infant.

The baby could feel Naraku's anger from just mental thought alone. "_I only saw it fit to punish the hanyou for speaking so rudely towards mother. I never intended for it to get so out of hand._"

Lynnette whimpered softly. "Do the two of you have to think at each other so loud?"

Both males paused in their argument, surprised that even communicating was harming the woman. Naraku inwardly calmed his anger. '_Nevertheless, do not override her powers needlessly. I do not want her to die any time soon._'

The redhead's body twitched involuntarily with tremors of agony, nearly crushing Kagome's hand with the effort of not screaming aloud in pain. "Will you just _go away_!" She demanded thorough clenched teeth.

Naraku paused, noticing how much pain Lynnette was in. He withheld a growl as he withdrew from the argument and looked at all of the others.  
Kagome, in an automatic insult, had her back turned to the evil hanyou. Even thought the grip clearly hurt the miko, she made no attempt to pry her hand loose. "It's okay, Lynnette. I don't care if you break my hand; I'm not going to let go."

Kirara was growling at Naraku, hatred in her eyes even though the neko looked as harmless as a puffball with all her fur standing straight up.

Naraku almost sighed. "Must this always happen when I come to retrieve you?" he spoke out loud as if he were reprimanding Lynnette.

Kikyou's grip tightened on her bow. "...I wasn't aware that she belonged to you, Naraku," she spat. "That child may be your own but I'm very certain that she isn't."

Miroku couldn't help but speak up. "I would blame your offspring for putting her in this state," he pointed out in a hard angry voice. "It's his fault that she's in so much pain."

"Even if we were to allow you to take her back, she should be in no pain beforehand. Without her normal strength, she would easily die from your miasma in that castle," Kikyou then pointed out. "I'm certain that you wouldn't want that to happen."

Lynnette managed to open eyes that were dilated in pain. "I don't want to go back; I want to die in the clean air."

Naraku almost frowned. Even with Lynnette protesting, he wasn't sure how to go about this without starting another needless battle.

Closing her eyes again, the redhead sighed. "I'm not in the mood to fight with my head ready to fly apart. I told you I'm not leaving before my time limit is up, and I meant it." She forced herself to let go of Kagome's hands so that the other miko could shake her hands out even though she was still in agony.

Deciding to finally take matters into his own hands, the evil hanyou moved forward without a word and ignored those around him. He reached his hand forward and placed it against Lynnette's forehead.  
Already on the defensive, Inuyasha let out a growl at the sight of the man touching her. If he wasn't so close to Lynnette, he would have tried to cut his arms off.

Pain lanced from temple to temple, but Lynnette didn't move her head away from Naraku's hand. Her forehead was burning hot under his palm. Clearly, sleeping outdoors was taking its toll on top of his 'son's' temper tantrums. A lesser woman would not have been able to travel in this state.

It was more than obvious now that she was sick due to all of the conditions she had been dealing with. If anymore stress was added to her already bad immune system, Naraku knew that she would die.

"What?" Lynnette asked, reaching up to remove the earplug from her other ear with a shudder. "Are you yelling at your child again?"

"No," Naraku replied. "If I was, you would know."

"Are you going to leave now? Or do we have to spar some more?" She asked quietly, ignoring the dark hanyou's other hand that was cupping the back of her neck to cradle it.

Naraku nearly frowned. Lynnette was clearly not well and he didn't want to leave her side while she was in such a state.

Kagome made a sound of displeasure. "You aren't wanted or needed here. Lynnette told you to leave," she snapped, moving forward as though she was actually going to physically separate the two of them.

It was no surprise when Naraku completely ignored Kagome, only focusing on Lynnette. He noticed how dilated her pupils were and grew even more upset. Glancing over at Buzzer, he mentally ordered the creature to make sure that she wouldn't be sleeping outside during the night.

Buzzer sounded nervous '_It's very far to the next village._' it protested.

Naraku didn't look liked one to be trifled with today, almost appearing like he could kill Buzzer by just looking at it hard enough.

The hell insect buzzed in terror and made a beeline for Kikyou, hiding behind the undead miko's shoulder.

Amused but focused on his task, the dark hanyou added slightly more pressure to his touch, sending his energy down towards the weakened child and restoring his strength.

The infant pulsed to attention, feeling warm energy filling his body. He noted that his father's powers seemed to cause Lynnette even more discomfort; just the same as when Kikyou and Kagome gave the girl their energy.

Lynnette held her breath to keep from screaming even as her hands flew up to rip Naraku's hands away before she passed out. "Never do that again!" Lynnette panted, feeling her head pulse in renewed agony.

The baby knew better than to say anything at the moment, but didn't like how his mother was in such much pain.

Kagome purposely rolled Lynnette's wheelchair back to separate Lynnette from Naraku. "Enough!" she yelled, causing the redhead to whimper. "Let's go, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha let out a snarl, hating how was unable to do much with Lynnette being there in such misery. Why couldn't he just destroy Naraku's body? Just one time would be enough to let him go on for a little while.

Lynnette was breathing hard, but her hand was automatically reaching for Kikyou's. "Don't... break... your... bow..." She tried to joke in a strained voice.

Kikyou's knuckles were even more white than usual since she gripped harshly on her bow. The miko's cold eyes momentarily bore onto Lynnette's face before realizing that the girl was holding her hand.

Naraku knew that he was fighting a losing battle. So long as Lynnette was sick, he knew that he would have let her stay with the group.

When it appeared as if the evil hanyou was beginning to make another move towards her, Kikyou let go of Lynnette's hand as she reared back, knocking an arrow into her bow and pulling back on the string within the blink of an eye. "Naraku," she hissed, glaring hard at him. "If you so much as touch the hair on her head, I will purify you where you stand."

Miroku stepped behind Lynnette. "Why do you take so much pleasure in hurting Lynnette-sama?" Miroku looked enraged as he had a death grip on his staff. "Are you blind to not see she is in agony?"

Once more, Naraku decided not to give the monk the satisfaction of answering. Instead of saying what was really on his mind, he gave the trademark smirk. "I'll be back soon," he murmured. Looking at Lynnette, he added, "I'll make sure to keep your bed warm..." Without waiting for the girl's reply, he took to the air in a cloud of miasma.

Lynnette whimpered again as her friend made a dangerous noise that sounded like a tea kettle boiling over. "Let's go," the miko growled in a barely-contained fury.

"Fucking bastard..." Inuyasha growled, referring to Naraku. He then moved forward, not wanting to stay in the same place anymore.

The redhead was shaking in mingled fear and fury, her teeth chattered. "C-c-can we go now?" She managed to ask.

Kikyou's grip finally loosened on her bow, slinging it over her shoulder and approaching the frightened woman.

Inuyasha was immediately put on edge by the sight since he thought back to when she confessed her feelings for Lynnette to everyone. He still wasn't used to the thought of the miko loving someone other than himself.

Ignoring the hanyou's shocked expression, Kikyou took Lynnette's trembling hand into hers and nodded for the group to begin moving again.

It had taken all day, but the group had finally reached a small village that was willing to put them up for the night. The redhead was grateful and had gone straight to bed. By this time her head was liable to split open any second. As she lay down while everyone else went to go eat, Lynnette realized that the 'child' inside her hadn't made so much as a peep since Naraku left.

The infant was still a bit on edge from what had happened earlier in the day. Of course he felt a lot better since Naraku had restored his energy, but he also didn't like how it affected his mother. He didn't feel like adding more fuel to the fire by speaking to her about it.

Taking a deep breath, she finally spoke. "If you have something to say, say it." Shifting, Lynnette let something slip. "I can feel your worry and it's keeping me awake."

The baby mentally frowned. "_It's about... earlier..._" he admitted, speaking to her for the first time since that morning.

"What about it?" His mother asked, trying to get comfortable.

"_I didn't like what father did to you..._" the infant murmured.

"It was to be expected considering our powers-our minds-are complete opposites," Lynnette pointed out.

"_I'm well aware of that... but it wasn't right for him to put you in harm's way in such a manner..._" He replied.

"It wasn't me he was concerned about," she sounded grimly amused. "In this case I was just in the way."

The infant didn't like that one bit. He knew that his father had his own method of doing things, but reaching out and treating him without even warning her seemed unjustified.

Lynnette shifted again. "The bottom line is that at the end of the day, I could die and he wouldn't care so long as you were alive."

Now he was confused. "_But it seems like there are other moments where he does... do things that only benefit you and not me..._"

"You get more with honey than you do with vinegar. Naraku wants me to feel like he cares about me in the hopes that I will teach _you_ everything I know."

It seemed that wishing for them to get along was looking more impossible with each passing day. He felt like a fool since he thought that Naraku actually had genuine concern for her. He thought he knew everything there was to know about the two people but he realized that he honestly had no clue. He really was just a baby after all.

After a minute of thought, Lynnette opened her mind enough to allow the 'child' to see exactly how he came into existence, showing him the honest truth of Naraku's true nature. "Do you understand now, young one?"

The infant fell silent again before finally answering in a solemn tone. "_Yes..._"

Lynnette shifted again, unable to find a comfortable place to settle. "I'm sorry that it hurts you."

"_So... father..._" the baby paused. "_No... _Naraku_... truly wants you to die so he can just use me as his tool for your powers...?_" The infant wanted to know his true purpose for existing.

"That would be my guess considering he knew I was dying to start with. I believe he knew that once you were in me, my death would happen even faster. Unless Naraku has a plan up his sleeve to keep me alive; this is a one shot deal."

The infant's shock began to turn into a slow burning anger. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he felt close to who he considered to be his mother. Maybe it had to do with being inside of her body, but he was attached to her nevertheless. "_I won't allow him to get his way..._" he mentally declared.

Lynnette jerked in shock herself. "I don't think either of us have a choice at this point, child."

Racking his mind for ideas, the child shook his head. "_There has to be some way... I'm supposed to inherit your abilities so... there has to be something I could do._"

"Child, you were created from the cancer that was killing me. Every day that you grow stronger, I grow weaker. You are basically the only thing that is keeping me alive! At the same time, you've basically been eating me from the inside out."

As soon as she had explained the cancer to him, the infant was struck with an idea. He let out a small laugh, almost devious sounding. "_I think I have something..._"

Lynnette wanted to bite her tongue and swallowed hard.

"_Instead of using my energy to eat away at your powers, I'm going to use it to give back to your strength,_" the infant explained. "_It may make me weaker for a while... but if I'm able to gain your abilities fully, I think that could possibly heal your 'cancer' before you give birth to me._"

Her jaw dropped, for the first time the child had actually flummoxed her. "Wait... what? Is that even possible! And even if you could do that, you can't restore what is no longer there! Well, maybe you could if I swallowed more of the yucky for you to work with..." She shuddered.

"_As far as you're concerned I'm just a mass of flesh... I can replace what you've lost if you cooperate with me,_" he replied, honestly surprised that he had surprised his mother to such an extent.

"But it's still the cancer, a part of me that's run amok until my own body rejects it and called it foreign," she managed to get out, hoping that what she just said made sense.

"_I'll figure it out..._" the infant replied. Getting more annoyed with their situation, he added, "_As far as I'm concerned, you are my only parent._"

Lynnette froze. "What made you change your mind?"

"_Well, despite how you dislike the situation, you still manage to treat me like an actual person..._" he explained cautiously. "_And though I don't know much, I'm certain a normal parent wouldn't just want their child for one purpose. I doubt he would care much if I died after he got what he wanted out of me..._"

"I believe that every life is sacred and has a purpose. You are just as much a victim in this as me."

The infant inwardly nodded. "_I guess I am..._"

Lynnette finally found a comfortable spot. "I wish I still had a stomach..." She muttered.

The infant pulsed inside of her, warming her body. "_Mother... I want to know... if you could give me a name?_" came the sudden request.

Rolling over onto her back, she frowned slightly. "I thought you had one." Lynnette admitted.

"_He never gave me a name..._" he admitted, referring to Naraku.

"I'll sleep on it. A name is important and shapes who you will become." His mother said solemnly.

The infant was surprised that she would actually take special care to think up his name. He assumed that she would come up with one on the spot.

"Names have power too child."

For a moment, the baby fell silent again. "_You should try to sleep... I won't do anything to interrupt it._"

"I'll try..." She yawned. "My head really hurts..."

The infant pulsed in warmth again. "_Good night, mother..._"

Pulling the blankets tighter around her, she fell asleep to her child's warmth wondering if the warmth was really a way of showing his love and affection for her.

After he knew that she was asleep, the baby thought over what he found out. It was hard to believe that his creator only made him for his own gain. The union he thought was there was a lie. At this rate, it seemed like the only other parent he could hope for was... the undead miko. Making sure he could keep her warm, he decided to vow to act like a normal son would towards the mother he loved. He was surprised that for the first time, his mother seemed to be showing some type of affection towards him. He knew that with or without Naraku, Lynnette would make a great empress.


	20. Change of hearts

Author's note: Thanks to Turtlequeen2 for all of her help writing and editing this chapter. Sorry this chapter took so long, computer and family problems. Enjoy the read everyone!

* * *

Three weeks were up, and Kagome's back was a study in tension as she walked behind Sango. The older woman took her turn pushing Lynnette. It did not help at all that the young miko and Inuyasha had had a fight the night before that spilled over into the morning. The hanyou had thrown a fit when he had found Kagome sleeping next to Lynnette and held her while the redhead slept. Kikyou was also confused by it. It was hard work, but Kagome appeared cheerful and happy for Lynnette's sake.

Lynnette turned her head and smiled at Kagome, the worry in her eyes momentarily fading before she turned her attention back to the road. She laid her hand on her swollen midsection as her thoughts turned inward. The headache had finally vanished, but she still wasn't able to defend herself. _'Today's the day...'_

Ever since the fight had ended, Inuyasha was sullen and more quiet than usual. Putting things in perspective, he felt disgusted with the fact that Naraku would come and take her without much of a resistance from them.

Miroku walked next to the hanyou. "Want to talk about it?"

Inuyasha crossed his arms in his haori sleeves and tossed a weary look at the monk. "What's there to talk about?" he snorted.

"About why you picked a fight with Kagome-sama?"

The hanyou bristled, not particularly fond of the idea of discussing that particular subject. He assumed Miroku was referring to Lynnette leaving.

"Kagome-sama only wanted to give Lynnette-sama a bit of comfort while she slept. It disturbs Kagome to think of what Naraku might make her do," Miroku said quietly. "Lynnette-sama is dying; are you really that threatened that she takes those little drops of comfort when they are offered to her?" The monk's hand tightened on his staff. "Better Kagome-sama than Naraku."

Inuyasha let out a small growl. "Keh! Of course I know that, Miroku!" He averted his head.

Miroku sighed, knowing that it hadn't really sunk in yet, and waited for Inuyasha to speak again.

The hanyou fell silent for a few more minutes before casting the monk a suspicious glance. "Just what are you trying to get at?"

"I'm telling you not to be so hard on Kagome-sama and not to make her choose between the two of you."

Inuyasha's eyes widened, taken aback by the monk's words. "W-what?" he stuttered out. "W-what gave you that impression? Why would I want Kagome to do that?"

"She cares about you too, but the more you pick fights with her over Lynnette-sama, the more you will drive her away from you. Right now the only thing that Kagome-sama wants is your understanding and tolerance while she does her best to keep Lynnette-sama's hopes up." Miroku sounded quiet but serious.

The hanyou frowned, hating how right the monk was. It was also more than obvious that he was still at odds with Kikyou's newfound love for the younger woman.

"I think Lynnette-sama has starved for affection and love. Even though she can't eat anymore, Kagome's unfaltering loyalty keeps her spirit up even when all she wanted to do was cry," Miroku sighed. "Being with us is like having a hot meal in front of a warm fire. It lets her forget the darkness for a little while."

Inuyasha fell silent, already knowing a lot of Miroku said. His eyes narrowed after a moment of silent thought. "I can't stand the thought of just letting her go back to him..." he admitted.

"She has no choice, Naraku saw to that. His offspring only thrives in his lair." Miroku pointed out. "I know she doesn't want to go either. She doesn't want to die alone in the dark."

Inuyasha snorted. "Who in the right mind would want to die alone by Naraku's side?"

Miroku nodded his agreement. "Not Lynnette-sama, that's for certain."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Inuyasha almost groaned. "Wait for her to have Naraku's kid and see her die?" He knew that the young woman was already close to death, but he was sure it wasn't the type of death anyone had in mind.

"I don't know, I think our hands have been tied in this case."

The hanyou growled. "Are you saying we have to give up?" He hated giving up under any circumstances.

"Do you have any other ideas? We can't fight, she's not strong enough." The monk shook his head. "If we fight, she dies. If she doesn't, she dies."

"...So basically... you're implying that nothing short of a miracle will save her now," Inuyasha grumbled. He wasn't the type of guy who believed in that sort of thing.

"Pretty much. Lynnette's only hanging on as much as she can to make it easier on the rest of us at this point."

The hanyou almost sighed at that. "I guess this is the time when you humans pray to your gods..."

Miroku nodded. "Why don't you take your turn with her next? She might think that you are still avoiding her."

Inuyasha was almost taken aback by this. "...You mean spend time with her?" He shifted uncomfortably.

"You'll only beat yourself up if you don't take the time to say goodbye," Miroku pointed out.

After everything that happened between them, Inuyasha was uncertain of how to act around Lynnette anymore. Though, some part of him knew that Miroku had a point. "Fine..." he sighed, outwardly looking annoyed. However, anyone that knew Inuyasha long enough knew that he was far from being annoyed.

A few hours later, Lynnette smiled shyly at Inuyasha as he approached her. "If you are afraid of me..." She sounded tentative.

Inuyasha snorted at the notion. "Why would I be afraid of you?" he replied. "It's not like you can kill me..." The words came out like a reflex. As soon as he had said it, he immediately regretted it. Shaking his head, he calmed himself. "I don't want you to go back to that bastard but apparently there's nothing that can be done about it right now..."

The redhead nodded. "It scares me, I had nightmares last night." She shuddered. "It's so dark, it's like the darkness itself is suffocating you as well as the miasma..."

Inuyasha frowned. "I could only imagine..." he murmured before beginning to realize why Lynnette wanted to waste all of the firewood last night. "...So that's why you wanted to be beside the fire so badly."

"I'm an adult, yet scared of the dark!" Her laughter sounded bitter. "Absolutely pitiful at my age..."

The hanyou shrugged his shoulders. "If you have to stay that long with Naraku, I don't blame you..."

Lynnette sighed. "I'm going to miss everyone."

Inuyasha frowned. "...Lynnette..." he began, thinking out loud. "...Does Naraku force you to do things you don't like?"

She hesitated then she nodded slowly. "In order to gain a three week visit I had to let him kiss me and..." Lynnette swallowed, realizing she said too much. "Nevermind..."

The hanyou's eyes widened, paling in disgust. "What?" he growled. Immediate rage consumed him. "Has he done more than that?"

"Sometimes I have to let him share my bed, or he'll sneak in my room while I'm sleeping and watch me all night..." Lynnette admitted in a soft shamed voice.

Inuyasha's fists tightened at his sides. "How fucked up is that bastard?" he quietly cursed to himself.

"Shush!" She said. "Keep your voice down and relax your hands before the others notice."

The hanyou's eyes narrowed slightly before he let out a loud breath and unclenched his fists. "So, not even Kagome knows about this..." he murmured more quietly.

"Of _course_ not!" She hissed, bowing her head to hide her flaming cheeks. "She'd lock me up and throw away the key!"

Inuyasha inwardly shivered, knowing that the miko would have reacted badly to that news. He didn't even want to know what Kikyou would have to say about it.

A few deep breaths later, Lynnette raised her head, outwardly looking calm again. Buzzer zoomed in and landed on her raised hand. After a minute, she swore softly. "Damn, damn, damn..."

Inuyasha's eyes widened, surprised that the woman swore multiple times in one sentence. "What?"

"We got company, everybody," Lynnette said in a louder voice, narrowing her eyes and looking completely pissed off.

Everyone else around the pair immediately got on edge, knowing who she was referring to.

Before long, Naraku appeared from a cloud of miasma and landed before the group. "Lynnette," he greeted with a smirk, ignoring the angered expression on her face.

Lynnette slowly lowered her arm, and caressed the hell insect's head with a finger. Although the woman paled because of the miasma, her jaw remained firm. "You stink!"

Ignoring her insult, Naraku frowned slightly. "You seem distressed over something," he murmured.

"Of course I am! Your arrival means I can't breathe!" She snapped.

"No, I believe it's over something other than that..." Naraku trailed off, looking over at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha inwardly cursed. It was obvious that Naraku had overheard his conversation with Lynnette.

Lynnette swallowed again. "Leave him alone, it's already bad enough."

From within, the child inwardly frowned at Lynnette's reaction. He could tell that she was more sensitive to the miasma than before due to how long she had been out.

The redhead squeezed her eyes shut as she fought for a clean breath. "Why do you enjoy picking fights so much Naraku?" She continued. "There's no need for it."

Naraku smirked. "I suppose I would be lying if I say that it didn't amuse me in some form..."

The hanyou let out a low snarl in response.

Lynnette felt herself go rigid in her chair. "If it amuses you so much, then take it elsewhere. I'll be fine if you need another three weeks to get it out of your system... or would you rather I buy you a muzzle?" She asked, poisoned honey dripping off her tongue and ignoring Kagome's snort of suppressed laughter.

Even the infant couldn't help but become amused. He could tell without even being able to see his face that Naraku was not happy with her comeback.

Keeping her eyes trained on Naraku, the redhead tightened her hands on her wheels. When the evil hanyou remained silent, she turned her head slightly towards Kikyou. "Let's move, everybody!"

The dark hanyou was taken aback by Lynnette's newfound sass and knew that these three weeks had changed her. Not willing to give her anymore time, he moved in front of the group, blocking their path. He approached Lynnette's chair and lifted the woman out, ignoring the arrow that was inches away from his chest thanks to Kikyou's quick thinking. "I believe I gave you a curfew, Lynnette," he purred. "It's time to go home now."

Lynnette sighed. '_This is going to get messy._' She warned her son as she forced herself to relax. As he has once taken her strength, Lynnette was hoping she could draw on his now despite her current lack of personal power.

The infant inwardly frowned. "_You'll end up hurting yourself again if I let you borrow my strength,_" he reminded her.

'_Do you want to go back there?_' She asked him. '_I warn you that if I'm forced to kiss him, I'm going to puke, and you might get born backwards..._'

The infant honestly had no preference in location since he was practically immune to miasma. However, for his other mother's sake, he didn't want her to become weakened again. "_Are you sure...?_" he pressed. "_Naraku might think I have an ulterior motive if I suddenly do this for you._"

'_You have any better ideas?_'

The infant went still. "_No... not at the moment..._" Heaving a mental sigh, he charged his power through her body, providing her with added warmth.

Taking a deep breath, she glared at Naraku. "What's wrong with my staying here? I think it's good for him." Lynnette frowned. "It's teaching him to _think_ before he acts and not act like an animal."

Naraku frowned but still didn't let go of her. He didn't like the idea of his creation becoming potentially purified.

She stiffened again and pushed against Naraku. "Ouch, you need your claws trimmed!"

The dark hanyou was able to feel her frame and noticed how thin and fragile she still was. Not reacting much to her weaker strength, he shifted her body so that she was resting against his shoulder.

Fire blazed in her eyes. "Didn't you hear me? Put me down before you tear holes in me!"

"I have no intentions of harming you," the older man remarked. "Your resistance is what is causing you harm at the moment."

"You are the one being stubborn!" Lynnette shot back.

As she spoke though, the pelt that the dark hanyou wore seemed to envelope her in warmth and a huge yawn escaped her. _'What the-!'_ She thought, sniffing a sweet scent that she'd ignored before. "What did you-!" she managed to ask, fighting the sudden heaviness of her eyelids.

"Did you not get enough sleep?" Naraku commented, playing the innocent card.

Kagome clenched her fist so tight her nails broke though her skin. "Give her back!" She snarled.

"_Father?_" the baby spoke into Naraku's mind. He sounded panicked. "_Did you do this to mother?_"

Shifting her again so that her head was better cradled against him as he wrapped the fur tenderly around her, he mentally spoke. '_Your mother will wake up when we are safely at home._' Naraku explained to his child. '_She needs her rest to feel better._'

As much as the infant wanted to talk back to Naraku, he knew that he was at a bad position to do anything. Acting directly against his creator meant that he'd be destroyed.

Lynnette's breath evened out in sleep, but she twitched slightly and frowned. Seeing this, Kagome ignored the feel of the blood beneath her fingernails as she took a stride forward. "What did you _do_ to her?" She demanded.

"Nothing damaging," Naraku remarked calmly. "She needed rest and I sought to give it to her. That is all."

"Quit acting like a loving husband, everyone knows that this is a lie!" Kagome snapped.

Kikyou's eyes narrowed in hatred towards the man, her arrow tip glowing white with energy. "You used a youkai potion on her," she spat in disgust. "I could sense that from yards away."

"She needs her sleep, and Lynnette would have only hurt herself if she kept arguing with me." Naraku used his tentacles to pick up her wheelchair. "Don't worry Kikyou, I would never hurt her. She'll wake up in a while."

The miko looked prepared to murder. "You've already harmed her more than enough!" she spat back. "If you must know, she looked healthier around our group than she ever did when I went to visit her at your castle."

"Sleeping on the cold hard ground? Tossing and turning all night?" Naraku snapped angrily as he put the sleeping Lynnette back into her chair. "Playing peacemaker day in and day out? I don't think so."

Kagome took another step towards her friend, braving the evil hanyou. "Don't you have anything better to do than stalk and torment her?"

Kikyou nearly growled, her aura flaring. "If not for her own powers, she would be dead because of your miasma!"

Naraku smirked, not taking their words very seriously. "Rest assured that I will fix that problem when we return," he remarked. "By the time we have another child, I'm sure that there won't be an issue."

Without thinking, Kagome snatched her bow and fired an arrow, _just_ missing the dark hanyou's left ear by an inch. All the while, she sounded like a furious teakettle on the boil. "There won't _be_ any others!"

Unmoved, Naraku made a 'tsk' sound, not even flinching at the arrow. "Be careful... You wouldn't want to risk hurting Lynnette, now, would you?" he murmured.

Kagome's eyes blazed in hatred. "She wouldn't get hurt, not with everyone here that love her ready to catch her and take her away from you."

The 'baby' pulsed as though nervous. "_Father, don't goad Mother's friend. She's in a __really__ bad mood. Mother had a bad night last night so her temper is very short. I don't mind staying another day or two if it makes Mother happy..._"

Naraku inwardly frowned. '_And then days turn into weeks?_' It was obvious that the man's patience was beginning to thin.

"_Her powers are stronger out here. The stronger they are, the more I can learn even if mine aren't her type,_" His offspring supplied. "_I think they are linked to her emotions and her wellbeing. The miasma that we thrive off of was weakening her and only making it harder for me to learn anything useful._"

'_My mind is made up. I gave her a time limit due to an arrangement and I'm not planning to reschedule it again,_' Naraku argued back stubbornly. '_I've rearranged many parts of the castle so that there are more areas without miasma._'

"_Will it be enough? Mother's more sensitive to it now,_" His child countered, sticking up for his mother. An idea popped into his head. "_Father, did you mean it in your letter when you suggested giving her a territory of her own?_" The 'child' almost choked calling Naraku "father," but he wanted his mother happy again.

The evil hanyou nodded, showing everyone around them that he was conversing with the infant. '_Yes, I did._'

"_Why not take her back long enough to let her study and plan, then take her there to let her settle? That way she won't get so sick._"

'_I will arrange that._' He assured the concerned infant.

"_Kikyou?_" The child said. "_I'll take care of Mother and make sure you know where her territory is so you can lead the rest of the group._" The tone said that this was a private sending.

Kikyou heard this thought and made a mental nod. '_Thank you._'

Kagome almost snarled but slung her bow over her shoulder. "No more making her puke blood."

"I assure you that I have no intentions of making her any more ill than she already is," Naraku murmured out loud.

"I wasn't talking to you!" The younger miko snapped, glaring at Lynnette's midsection as though trying to pierce the offspring within her best friend with her gaze.

"I can't believe this is happening again!" Inuyasha growled.

"What do you suggest we do, Inuyasha?" Miroku replied in a serious, clipped tone. "We have no other choice of action seeing as he has Lynnette-sama pressed against him."

Kagome looked as though she was either going to throw up or cry. "You really hate her, don't you, Naraku?"

"Why would I ever hate the mother of our child?" Naraku retorted back in an almost smug voice.

Kirara, still in her transformed form, walked forward braving Naraku's close presence. Giving a low rumble from her throat, she approached Lynnette's side and nuzzled her face affectionately.

"If you didn't hate her, you wouldn't enjoy making her do things she doesn't want to do or force your company on her," Kagome said tightly as she watched Lynnette pet Kirara in her sleep, hugging the cat close as she tried to wiggle out of Naraku's arms to snuggle up to the nekomata.

"_The Nekomata loves Mother and lets her snuggle up to her, if not sleep on top of her. Mother will be upset if you hurt her,_" the child warned, slightly nervous at his mother's movement in her sleep.

Naraku's eyes narrowed slightly at Kirara and the young woman. He couldn't quite figure it out, but he was sure he didn't like seeing her snuggling up against the nekomata. He didn't know whether or not it was jealously or pure hatred he felt towards the nekomata.

Purring deeply in satisfaction, Kirara made as though to pull her out of Naraku's arms.

Sango looked on in concern for both the nekomata and Lynnette. She could only hope that Kirara wouldn't do anything reckless that could get her hurt.

A minute later after some interesting maneuvering, Lynnette was safely snuggled on Kirara's back, and the Nekomata bolted to safety so that the others could attack Naraku freely.

Naraku was shocked to say the least. The nekomata just outright took Lynnette straight out of his arms since he was so preoccupied with goading the group. This surprise at his own stupidity turned into anger due to the bruised pride.

Inuyasha smirked when he saw Kirara carry the woman back to their side. "Good job, Kirara!" he commented before pulling out Tessaiga. Using Naraku's down defenses to his advantage, he unleashed a powerful kaze no kizu on the evil hanyou, ripping the body to shreds.

"Kirara gets an extra fish tonight!" Kagome whooped with joy as she grabbed her bow again.

Kikyou couldn't help but maintain her own small smile as she pulled back an arrow on her bow.

Sango and Miroku hightailed it to guard the nekomata and her sleeping charge, Shippou right behind them. "I'll give you my fish head tonight," the kitsune told Kirara with a grin.

Kirara gave a happy growl in response, watching as the others laid out a relentless onslaught on the dark hanyou.

"_Mother's safe Father, but you must be getting old!_" The child sounded amused as though this was a game.

Naraku could hardly think through all of the attacks he was receiving. However, the infant's comment managed to make its way through to him, making him even more pissed.

Kagome and Kikyou fired shot after shot in almost perfect unison, and from the looks on their faces, neither or them would stop until they were dead or Naraku was. During all of this, Lynnette snuggled deeper into the purring nekomata's fur, oblivious to the fight. The potion Naraku used had been a strong one indeed...

The older man could see Lynette through the fray and knew that she was still sleeping. He didn't know whether to be amused or offended by the sight. Did he overdo it on the potion?

"_She's out like a light at midnight, I can't wake her! A tree could fall on her and she'd never know it._" His offspring panicked, confirming Naraku's guess about the potion.

Naraku knew that the potion would wear off within the day despite the dosage, but couldn't quite get out the thought to the infant due to his condition.

If anything, the attack was intensifying. Clearly, this time, Lynnette wasn't going to be going without a fight. They were gaining in strength because Lynnette was there waiting for them.

Naraku had had enough. He knew that if he didn't leave soon, he'd have to spend at least a week regrouping his body. Knowing well that the others would protect Lynnette from his poison, he released a cloud of miasma around his body and made his escape from the area. However, before he was out of distance, he mentally said, '_I will return when she awakens._'

Sango quickly put on a mask and affixed another to the sleeping Lynnette. "We did it!" Her muffled voice shouted in triumph.

Despite how Inuyasha was bothered by the fact that Naraku evaded them yet again, he couldn't help but grin at that fact that they prevented the hanyou from getting to Lynnette this time around. "We did!"

Kagome carelessly dropped her bow and ran to her friend, thinking only about the potion. "She never sleeps this soundly!"

Kikyou was more slow at approaching Lynnette, lowering herself to her knees so that she was beside Kagome at the other priestess. "This youkai potion is very strong..." she murmured.

Inuyasha let out a groan. "Where's the annoying flea when you need him?" he suddenly said out loud.

As if appearing by will of the gods, Inuyasha felt an acute pinch on his nose and stared annoyingly at the tiny creature that appeared in the middle of his face. Closing his eyes out of irritation, he smacked his hand to his face and let the smashed elderly demon fall flat onto his palm. "Where have you been hiding out, Myouga-jiijii?" he grumbled.

The tiny flea demon let out a nervous laugh before looking up at his master. "Well, I've heard that you've taken in a new member of the group that has many youkai and human alike at odds." Rotating himself, he took at look at the woman. "And I can see why now that I have a good look at her!"

Rolling his eyes and resisting the urge to squeeze the flea into a ball, Inuyasha remarked, "Well, Naraku hit her with a sleeping potion. Do you think you'd be able to suck it out of her?"

To this, Myouga hopped off of the hanyou's palm and moved towards the three women, resisting the urge to bite any unnecessary people due to his constant hunger for blood. Finding a spot on the top of Kikyou's hand, he stopped and looked over the girl's sleeping face.

Kikyou didn't even seem to react to this sudden appearance, only concerned about Lynnette's well-being.

Kagome's eyes were wide with fear and she held her friend's hand in a tight grip. "Please, Myouga-jii-chan, do your best."

Myouga hopped onto the woman's arm and prepared to do his work when he paused and frowned. "...I sense a strong youki coming off of this girl," he murmured. "So it's true that Naraku placed his offspring inside of her."

"Not by her own will." Kagome gritted her teeth.

Myouga shook his head, sighing. "I'm afraid I can be of no assistance," he remarked. "Not only is it helping an enemy survive... but judging by the scent of the potion... I would have to suck out a good portion of her blood." He shook his head again. "That would put her life at jeopardy in the state that she is in."

The younger miko made that familiar furious teakettle noise again, but did not slap the flea because she did not want to hurt Lynnette.

Inuyasha couldn't help but feel a small shiver of fear run down his spine at the sound of that noise. It was almost scarier than the growl she would make before she sat him. Shaking away his discomfort, he growled. "So what do you suggest we do, Myouga-jiijii?"

Due to being the usual coward he was, the moment he heard the sound from Kagome, Myouga bolted towards the nearest body away from Kirara: Shippou.

Shippou caught Myouga and held out his small hand to the hanyou. "Here, you lost this."

Myouga looked up at his master nervously when Inuyasha picked him up.

"Oh no," Inuyasha replied. "You're not getting away this time."

Kirara looked up from Lynnette and growled her agreement, yawning to emphasize of her threat.

Clearing his throat or what could count as a "throat" for a flea, Myouga sighed. "She'll wake up by nightfall. It's not a permanent spell."

"Are you sure? I mean, she's not well to start with and..." Kagome swallowed hard as she fought back tears.

The flea nodded as best as he could. "It's already beginning to wear off."

"_Don't worry Kagome._" The child spoke up. "_She can't overdose on this, it's a spell, not medicine as you and Mother know of._"

The flea nearly jumped out from between Inuyasha's fingers when he heard the infant speak through his mind. "...Did I just hear it talk?" he spoke out loud.

Miroku half-shrugged. "You'll get used to it after a while..."

"Telepathic, and that had _better_ have come from Lynnette..." Kagome muttered.

"_It did, I am my mother's son._" The offspring said firmly.

The monk blinked, furrowing his eyebrows at the emphasis the child put on the word "mother." Did this possibly mean that Naraku's infant was becoming happier with being just Lynnette's child?

Once Myouga finally managed to squeeze out from between Inuyasha's fingers, he hopped onto his master's shoulder and pondered on the tone being used by the infant. "...Is that infant completely allied with Naraku or is there alliance with both sides?" he wondered out loud.

The infant fell silent knowing that he couldn't give his true answer since Naraku could pick up on it. Coming up with something less suspicious, he replied, "_I believe I was made to have all of her gifts, but my power isn't as pure as hers._"

"In other words, priestess power mixed with demonic strength... Damnit Lynnette we're going to have to have _another_ talk..." Kagome glared at her sleeping friend.

Miroku frowned in thought. "This is something I've been wondering about for a while now..." he murmured. "Youkai power and holy power are ying and yang. They can be the exact opposite but also be the exact same in terms of strength. So..." He looked at Lynnette's stomach. "How is it that Naraku was able to create you inside of her without the issue of nullifying your powers when placed together?"

"_You would have to ask mother that, but it might have been the way I was created..._" The child replied, a touch sadly. "_We might as well make camp unless you would prefer to keep moving. She'll be out for a few hour,_" he added.

"Agreed," Kagome replied, carefully rolling Lynnette into a sitting position. "Are you hurt, Inuyasha?" The young miko asked, shifting to hold her friend upright.

The hanyou blinked, surprised at how easily Kagome moved Lynnette back into position. "...I'm fine," he remarked. "It's not like Naraku did much damage to us."

Kagome nodded. "Can you please put Lynnette back into her wheelchair so that we can keep moving? I'd do it myself, but she can't help and she's too long otherwise." She brushed her friend's hair away from her face. "The more distance we can put out, hopefully the harder it will be for Naraku to catch up again."

Inuyasha nodded his head, moving forward so that he could carefully move Lynnette back into the chair. Standing up, he turned back to the young miko. "Yeah, despite how I hate knowing that we have to keep away from the bastard..." he murmured.

"Right now, we don't have a choice," Kagome answered grimly as she accepted Kikyou's help in standing up. "Sango, how's Kirara?"

Sango frowned, looking down at the nekomata who was now mewing in pain in her smaller form. Some miasma had managed to get into her system. "...I think she took some damage but it shouldn't be much of a problem since we still have some of the healing herbs..." she explained.

Nodding, Kagome limped slightly over to Lynnette and buckled her in tightly. "Need help?" She hissed softly in discomfort as she moved.

Shippou frowned when he noticed Kagome's limp. "Are you okay, Kagome?" he asked after hopping onto Miroku's shoulder.

"Yeah, my leg fell asleep." She managed a smile. "I'll be fine in a bit."

"Okay..." the kitunse murmured, still sounding worried for the woman.

Miroku inwardly shook his head. He knew that Kagome wasn't taking caring of herself due to Lynnette's condition. He was glad Kouga wasn't around or else he was sure a fight would have broken out.

Once the group finally got moving, a grim silence reigned. Sango was pushing Lynnette's chair with Kagome and Kikyou on either side of her to keep an eye on the sleeping redhead. Inuyasha roamed ahead of the group to scout for trouble while Miroku guarded the rear. The 'child' was silent and thinking hard. '_I doubt Naraku would guard Mother so carefully..._' He mused, and pondered that for a while. It wasn't until the sun was staining the sky with it's sunset that Lynnette started to stir.

Raising her head, Lynnette looked around sleepily. "Am I still dreaming?"

The infant almost twitched with happiness, very relieved that his mother was finally awake. "_Naraku's gone now... you can thank the nekomata for her quick thinking._"

'_I will. Anyone hurt?_' His mother asked, shaking her head as though to clear it. '_Are you hungry, because I'd like some soup or a drink to clear my head._'

"_The nekomata took some miasma... but she seems to be alright now,_" the baby explained. "_But I think you should eat since you haven't had the chance to all day..._"

'_Sweetheart, I haven't had anything to eat since you day you were put inside me._' It was the first time Lynnette had used an affectionate name for her son. '_And even if I tried, it would have just come back up._'

The infant inwardly frowned despite being surprised that she had called him an affectionate name. "_Well, I promise to let you keep this down in the very least..._"

'_Thank you._' Lynnette replied, blinking as she looked for Inuyasha. "I'm awake," She called. "Are we stopping soon?"

Inuyasha paused in his walk, his eyes widening as he turned around to face Lynnette. "Lynnette!" he gasped, almost looking as if he weren't sure if he'd ever see her awake again.

"Hi," she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Not sure what he did, but it wasn't my intention to sleep all day again!"

Kikyou was very relieved to see the woman awake again, offering a smile of relief and stopping in place.

Shaking her head slightly, she returned the smile. "Were we pulling an all-nighter?"

Kagome grinned. "Haven't decided yet, nobody seemed to want to stop though."

Inuyasha shrugged, brushing off his earlier shock. "Are you willing to go all night? I won't stop if no one else wants to."

"Hey, I'm not the one walking. Kikyou? Miroku? Sango?" Lynnette turned her head to see the others. "It's up to you guys."

"Well...we did manage to cover a some good ground..." Miroku murmured thoughtfully. It was his way of saying that he was exhausted.

The redhead nodded. "Sango, how's kitty?"

Sango frowned at the nekomata who was now perched in her arms. "She's still recovering from the miasma..."

Frowning, she looked at Inuyasha. "Let's find a place to make dinner, then see how things go?" She offered a compromise, but she still looked a little nervous.

The hanyou noticed the woman's unease and averted his head. "We should make sure Naraku can't come after us during the night at least."

"Please," Lynnette said softly. "I do _not_ want to wake up in his arms again, I really don't."

Kagome gripped her friend's shoulder. "It's okay, Lynnette. I'm not going to let you go back there."

Despite knowing that he was tired, Miroku knew that there were more important things to worry about other than sleep. Forcing a smile, he allowed his shakujou to tap onto the ground once. "Then we should keep going," he replied.

Kikyou's grip impulsively tightened around her bow. "...We won't let Naraku touch you again," she murmured in a low tone.

Lynnette nodded. "If you are hungry, we can stop long enough for you to eat." The redhead generously offered

"That's fine," Sango replied with a smile of her own.

Smiling, she held out her arms. "I can hold Kirara if you'd like, Sango."

Sango stepped forward and carefully lowered Kirara down. "Hopefully we can get to a village by morning..." she added.

A little while later, Lynnette stared into the fire contently as she stirred the ramen to cool it. She had explained to the others that since the 'child' had decided to forgo feeding from her energy, she wanted to give 'real' food a try and see if that helped any. "This is very good, Kagome. I still can't believe you had any of the beef flavor left."

The other woman smiled. "I hid the last package just in case... is it just me or is he," She nodded to friend's midsection, "starting to sound like a real child?"

Sango had to say that she agreed with Kagome's words. "...It seems like you have more energy than usual... and you don't get sick quite as often as you used to..."

"He said that he wasn't going to drain my energy anymore since it makes me so sick. I think that now that I'm away from Naraku, whatever hold he has on his offspring is breaking." Lynnette smiled. "Whether or not that would remain the case if I returned there, I don't know."

The infant shifted inside of Lynnette. "_Mother... my loyalty is with you..._" he assured her.

Lynnette smiled. "I'm glad, child, but Naraku is stronger than I am in this state, and I cannot protect you if it came down to it..." She said out loud

"_Well... I have my own plans as well..._" he reminded her.

Politely, Lynnette did not reply to this ominous statement as she shoved another bite of beef flavored ramen into her mouth. "I forgot how good it feels to actually eat..."

Sango looked about camp, noting how for the first time in a while, the group was able to eat in peace without worrying about Lynnette's whereabouts or her illness. It was comforting to say the least.

Finishing her meal, the redhead looked relaxed and no longer ready to jump out of her skin. "Are you all going to go to sleep now?" She asked.

Inuyasha snorted. "I'm not," he announced. "Someone needs to keep watch."

"I'll help," Lynnette replied "I'm not tired."

The hanyou half-shrugged, knowing that after being knocked out for the entire day, it wasn't much of a surprise that she was wide awake. "Fine with me."

Kagome frowned at her friend. "You know you don't have night-vision!"

Lynnette smiled. "It's not like I'll be alone on watch, Kame."

With a sigh, Kagome stood up and took the empty bowl. "Wake me if you need to lie down," she ordered instead, taking the other dirty dishes to wash them.

Miroku and Sango didn't say much else, both admittedly exhausted by this point. Sango took to sleeping beside Shippou and Kagome while Miroku slept on the other side of the fire; as far away from the taijiya's behind as possible.

Kikyou decided to rest against a nearby tree, closing her eyes but keeping her spiritual senses active. She was perplexed with the infant's sudden turn around but was also very thankful for it at the same time. She liked seeing Lynnette well.

A choked off scream shattered the contented stillness of the night, and Lynnette's head snapped up. "Kame!" She shouted.

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "Kagome!" he gasped, jumping up from his spot and rushing off to see what happened to the miko.

Kagome was bound in chains as a young boy with soulless eyes waited impassively, keeping his grip on the struggling miko.

Before Inuyasha had the chance to open his mouth, Sango caught up to them and gasped out at the boy. "K-Kohaku!"

The boy did not respond to his sister's cry of agony. "Lynnette-sama, it is time to come home." His voice was toneless and without emotion.

Inuyasha growled at the difficult situation, but couldn't help but note how respectful the boy's tone was towards Lynnette. It had to have been Naraku's orders. "...Damn Naraku..." he cursed.

Lynnette swallowed hard, her expression horrified. "Let her go."

To this, the soulless boy held up his kusari-gama, tightening the chains up in the process. "...Naraku-sama has orders for me to capture this woman in exchange for you," he murmured.

Sango's face paled. "No!" she gasped. It pained her to see her brother add onto his crimes against humanity.

The redhead's face paled. "Done. Release her."

Kagome's eyes filled with tears and she shook her head wildly. "No, no, no! Don't do it, Lynn!"

Inuyasha growled even more, trying to think if he could get Kohaku to loosen his grip on Kagome long enough to free her.

Almost seeming to read Inuyasha's mind, Kohaku held the edge of his weapon to Kagome's neck.

Lynnette raised a hand and then slowly rolled forward. "My freedom is not worth your life, Kagome," she said tenderly to her friend.

"Damn it all!" Inuyasha snarled out of frustration. Were they really going to lose after getting this far ahead?

"Inuyasha, keep Kagome safe, please?" She asked, not taking her eyes off Kohaku.

Inuyasha finally managed a reluctant nod, knowing that he didn't want Kagome endangered either.

"Kikyou? I'm sorry," the redhead murmured softly.

Kikyou's grip was tight on her bow, just as upset as everyone else. The last thing she wanted was for Lynnette to go back to Naraku!

Bowing her head as a tear slid down her face, Lynnette looked heartbroken as she rolled to Kohaku's side. "Let her go. _Now_!"

The infant pulsed, surprised by Lynnette's sudden change in aura. In just one moment, her bright energy became dark.

The boy showed no fear in his eyes, but nevertheless lowered his weapon knowing fully well that Lynnette would return with him.

Kagome gasped for air, but did not move yet from the spot. "Lynn, please don't..."

Lynnette reached out and hugged Kagome tightly. "It's all right; one of us has to be free." Her tone was bleak.

The infant was not happy with this arrangement one bit. Was Naraku so desperate for her presence that he would deliberately risk worsening his relationship with Lynnette?

Letting go of the miko, she gently pushed Kagome into the hanyou's arms. "Let's go back to Hell, Kohaku..."

Kohaku didn't say a word, placing his kusari-gama back against his side. He led the way, walking ahead into the shadows of the forest.

Blowing kisses to everyone with fingers wet with her tears, Lynnette followed without a word, ignoring her bleeding hands as the skin was ripped open by the forest debris.

Soon enough, Kohaku led her into a vacant field in the middle of the forest where Naraku awaited her. "It's nice to see you again, Lynnette," he murmured with a smirk.

Lynnette brushed away her tears, ignoring the blood. "What do you want now, Naraku?"

"I believe you've overstayed past our agreement," Naraku remarked offhandedly.

"The child was content; I saw no reason to upset him," Lynnette replied levelly.

The evil hanyou's smirk grew wider as he approached her side. "Regardless of what you think of our child, he still needs miasma to survive," he reminded her. "Even with all of the energy you provide him with, it wouldn't have been enough to keep him alive."

Her thoughts turning inward, she swallowed. _'True?'_ she asked her child in sorrow.

The infant fell silent for a moment, noting how Lynnette genuinely felt sad for him. "_It is part of the truth... when I was first created, I needed to be dependent on miasma to survive... but now that you provide me with your own energy, I can become independent living in his castle._"

Considering this, Lynnette gave a mental sigh. "What do you _really_ want Naraku?" She asked, feeling rundown and sad.

"Only the safe return of my _loving_ wife and son." As Naraku spoke he smirked as her caressed her cheek. "I will win your heart yet Lynnette my dear."

She snorted. "Boy, you are barking up the wrong tree if you wanted that." Lynnette's lips quirked. "Believe me when I say that from where I'm sitting, you're two miles up and that it's a long way to the ground." Satisfied with that shot, Lynnette rubbed her bloody palms against her pants. "I was all right where I was, and you had no right to kidnap my friend!"

The evil hanyou frowned at the low shot, but did well to keep from reacting irrationally. "I was only trying out my persuasion techniques..."

Her reply to that statement was creative and atomically impossible; not language a woman should use when pregnant. Spinning her wheelchair around, she hissed in fury. "I'm going back." Lynnette bit off her words. "Don't try to follow me, I might not be as strong as I was, but I'll damn sure try to insure you'll be an easy kill for the others!"

Naraku's eyes narrowed slightly, shooting a tentacle out from his arm and wrapping it around the girl's wheelchair handle and jerking it to where it was frozen in place. Moving forward, he then used his right arm to lift her body and held it. Noticing her angry expression, he smirked smugly before kissing her hard.

Her eyes blazed in outrage and she wasted no time in biting down on the offending hanyou's tongue even while she attempted to punch Naraku. '_Hold on tight sweetheart, you are inside a rollercoaster,_' She told her son. The expression on her face said that this was not over yet; she was going to fight to the death! Spitting out the blood that filled her mouth, she snarled. "Are we finished with this pissing contest?"

If Naraku were human, the bite would have surely hurt, but her actions only seemed to annoy him at best. Licking off some of the blood that flowed onto his lower lip, he kept his calm. "I believe you've forgotten your place, Lynnette..." he murmured in a dark tone. He tightened his hold slightly on her body, not making her comfortable in the least. Then channeling his energy, shot miasma through the infant's body, making her immobilized. Using a free hand since he was now holding her by his tentacles, he grasped her chin and forced her to look up at him. Smirking, he remarked, "_Darling_, do not forget that so long as our child is inside of you, I can very well control your body."

Her face was white, and her eyes threatened to come right out of her head. She did not answer, although she tried to. Failing to regain control, she turned her attention inward in a panic. '_Child?_' Her body was light and fragile into Naraku's hold. '_Can you reverse this?_'

The infant jerked once in her body in a vain attempt to remove the miasma from himself. "_My powers aren't strong enough yet..._" he announced to her. He then pulsed with anger. He hated that Naraku could still use his body to harm his mother.

Concentrating, she twitched her hand, or tried to, as the fear grew. She wasn't aware of how carefully she was being cradled in his grasp.

"Now if you wish to continue and resist me, there are other means I could very well use to make you more compliant..." Naraku murmured.

She glared at him, as though asking what he was talking about.

"Of course none of these methods will endanger your life or the child's," Naraku added. "However, it will make your time with me much harder to deal with."

Her eyes blazed, not buying it for a minute. '_You as confused as I am?_'

"_I believe Naraku is trying to intimidate you into submission..._" the infant explained. "_Though I wouldn't take his threats as bluffs either..._"

'_How much worse can things get?_' His mother fumed, seeing a slow smirk start to form on her captor's face.

"_I believe he has the ability to produce forms of mental torture for a person..._" the child added. "_I know this because he also gave me this type of ability. To use a person's faults against them and create illusions to break them down..._"

A cold chill of fear shot through her soul. '_You'd never..._' She said, knowing full well that the son was-thanks to her-more powerful than the father.

The infant would have shook his head if he could. "_I wouldn't use my powers against you... Though I fear that Naraku could very well force me to since it would be much easier than him imposing his own abilities onto you through him directly..._"

Lynnette would have whimpered if she could have. There were some parts of her that no son had the right to know.

Naraku kept his smirk in place, finding that he enjoyed cuddling her to himself. He was beginning to realize that the woman was softening towards their child which made his job all the more easy to accomplish.

Knowing what Naraku was planning to do, the infant channeled into Naraku's head. "_Father... may I please offer you a warning?_"

Naraku paused in his moment. '_And what would that be?_'

"_With as much time as I have spent inside of mother, I am worried about your plans to harm her if she doesn't comply with your needs. I think if you push her too hard, she may lose the will to do anything and that would be the last thing you would want your Empress to become, right?_"

Shifting a tentacle so that her head was cradled while he played with her hair, Naraku smiled lovingly at his chosen Empress. '_Your mother won't yield to me properly any other way, she's too stubborn._'

"_Perhaps so..._" the infant murmured, playing along with his father. "_But if she loses her will to fight completely... she will be a bad choice in terms of a woman who can reign by your side. Surely you like her more as she is rather than as a soulless puppet?_"

'_The more she fights me, the less likely it is that she will live past your birth. Even if I tried to save her, her powers would fight mine._'

"_Well in the very least… you should avoid using me against her..._" the infant advised. "_I'm doing well to gain her trust and your interference in that could compromise all of your plans for her._"

He thought about this. '_True, how are your plans going?_'

"_They're going better than expected,_" the infant replied. "_She's once referred to me as her 'son' now._"

'_Will she train you? You don't have much time left._'

"_I believe so... If I give her more coaxing..._" the infant replied.

'_When we return home, she'll be more tractable._' Naraku pointed out.

"_Then that will make our goals easier to accomplish,_" the infant only said in return.

Her hand finally moved allowing her to slowly reach up and pry Naraku's hand away from her hair. "..Hands... off..." she managed since his attention had lapsed.

Looking down at Lynnette and knowing she was still unable to move completely, Naraku wrapped a tentacle around the wheelchair and lifted it up along with her. Looking down at the silent Kohaku, he ordered, "Make sure the others don't follow."

Her furious eyes were shooting daggers at Naraku as she hissed sharply in displeasure. "Leave them alone," The redhead snapped. She tried to wiggle free, wanting to regain control of her own body again.

"Don't worry," Naraku murmured with a smirk. "I won't allow him to do much harm..."

"Don't lie," Lynnette snapped furiously. "Why don't you swallow your tongue instead!"

"Swallow my tongue?" he echoed. "That hurts, dear Lynnette."

"Better yourself than other people." She replied bitterly. "You've already done enough."

Naraku didn't say anything to that and took to the sky, knowing that she could fight back for the time being. Making sure not to choke her in shouki, he transported them back to the castle. Holding her tightly, Naraku vowed that it wasn't over yet.

After about three days of travel, the exhausted group decided to call it a night and make camp. Now that Kikyou was a part of the group, she helped pitch in to create a campsite, cutting down the time substantially. Soon enough, everyone took to their respective spots around the fire.

Kagome ate mechanically, her eyes lifelessly staring into the fire. She hadn't said more than a handful of words since Naraku had taken Lynnette again after the first day of raging. At least she was somewhat caring for herself though, so Lynnette must have given the younger miko a real dressing down on the subject.

Inuyasha watched Kagome, thankful she was eating, but just as worried as the others since they everyone knew that she was back to being her unnatural self. He leaned back against the trunk of the tree he sat in front of, trying not to look _too_ upset about it.

Sango let out a sigh, feeling as if there was starting to be a disconnect between her and Kagome. Every time Lynnette got taken, any attempts she made to get the younger woman to interact with them seemed to be in vain. She hated seeing her friend in such a state. Finally having enough of doing nothing, the taijiya stood up and walked over towards the miko. "Can I have a talk with you?" she asked in a gentle tone.

Putting aside her half-eaten meal in front of the nekomata, Kagome nodded and stood up silently. She followed Sango without a word.

Once the two were far enough away from the group, Sango found a boulder and sat down on it before motioning for Kagome to join her.

Gathering a small pile of stones, Kagome joined the demon slayer. She absently began tossing the pebbles one at a time into the river.

I know this is a stupid question to ask, but... how are you feeling, Kagome-chan?" Sango asked calmly. "...I feel like you keep to yourself more often than you should as of late..."

"I'm worried about her. She hasn't told us what really goes on when she's with him, I know she hasn't," Kagome answered, throwing a stone with extra force.

Sango nodded. "I had my own suspicions of that as well," she admitted. "...But it's probably because she doesn't want you to become reckless..."

Silent for a moment, the miko threw another stone. "Hiding it only makes it worse... I have nightmares about it, and she's started to have dreams so bad they make her go into screaming fits."

The taijiya's eyes widened. "...Screaming fits?" she echoed. "That's horrible..."

Kagome nodded. "That's why I started holding her when she slept at night. She's grown afraid of the dark too..." she shuddered, almost dropping the stone in her hand. "It eased a little while she's with us, but every time she goes back it gets worse."

"I see..." the older woman murmured solemnly. "I can see why you're so concerned then..."

While Inuyasha pondered what the two women were talking about, he kept to himself for the first twenty minutes. However, as more minutes passed by, he began to grow both worried and irritated. Did something bad happen to them? He knew they were both capable of protecting themselves, but still... What caused them to be gone for so long?

Despite how Kikyou's feelings towards Inuyasha changed, she could still read the hanyou's actions like a book. Noticing the way his leg fidgeted and how his expression changed to that of irritation, she sighed. "If you're so concerned of their well being, why don't you go see what they're up to?"

Inuyasha's eyes momentarily softened when the woman addressed, but soon enough, he snorted and stood up before running off to where the two young women were located.

Following their scents, Inuyasha stopped nearby and saw them through a spot in the trees. When he saw that they weren't harmed, he was relieved. He prepared to interrupt their conversation up until he heard Sango's words.

"...I know you care deeply about Lynnette as a friend, but do those emotions get in the way of how you feel towards Inuyasha?"

The hanyou froze in place, paralyzed. He was inwardly terrified of the answer Kagome would say.

Kagome was silent for a long time before she answered as she released her last stone. "In a way, yes. I've waited for so long for Inuyasha to wake up and see what was right in front of him. Every time he went flying after Kikyou, I ran off to my time. The next thing I know, I'm spewing out everything to Lynnette in the middle on the night. In the end, Inuyasha can wait and wake up whenever he wants, but Lynnette needs me _now_. I've spent so much time forcing my problems on her, and ignoring the hurt I caused her in the process every time I went back, that the least I can do now is be there for her when she really needs me."

Sango thought over Kagome's words before thinking back to the time when the young miko was caring for Lynnette after the infant had lost control. The girl said she loved Lynnette, but just in what way? "...Kagome-chan," she began, looking completely serious. "...Do you_ love_ her?" She placed emphasis on the word so that the miko knew what she was implying.

"Yes." The word was simple. "It took me this long to figure it out. I think it finally hit me when I went back to my time only to discover she was dying. She was always there, patiently waiting while I worked though things. Don't get me wrong, I love Inuyasha too, but I'm tired of waiting around for him to wake up. Lynnette loves Kikyou, but I also know that she loves me too. Even though I might not fit the way she does, she deserves my affection now as much as I can give." Kagome's hands clenched up in her lap. "Is that so wrong? Inuyasha will still be there-if he ever wakes up-but Lynnette..." She shook her head. "I don't want her to die thinking that I never saw everything she did for me even though there were a _lot_ of times I was a pretty selfish bitch."

Both Inuyasha and Sango were in shock by Kagome's statement. She actually called herself a selfish bitch! That wasn't something they heard from her normally. The hanyou felt a pained tug at his chest but decided to ignore it for the time being.

Sango fell silent for a few moments before answering. "...I don't think it's wrong to think that way..." she admitted. "...Especially when you're uncertain of how much longer she'll live..."

Kagome nodded slowly. "The real reason I brought her here was because I'm all she's got left. I didn't want her to die there alone in the hospital bed hooked up to all those machines. She deserves to die in fresh air and sunlight; she shouldn't die in the dark!"

The taijiya nodded her head. Even though she wasn't really sure what 'machines' and 'hospitals' were, she could understand Kagome's sentiment. Though, this brought her to another question. "...I know you say that you're all she has, but why is it that you're so involved with her but ignore everyone else when she's around?"

She took a deep breath. "Her family abandoned her and her dad used to beat her up. She literally has nobody else but me now, so I'm trying to be the strong one now. The fear tears at me, but I can't let it out. If I let it out, I'll break. How can I comfort her when I'm the one curled up in a ball sobbing?" Her lips trembled. "Even though I know she's dying, and Lynn's spared me the majority of the details, I lie awake at night and hear her breath rattle in her body or feel the coughs try to rip her apart. It makes me want to scream until I have no voice left."

Inuyasha knew a part of what Kagome felt regarding Lynnette, but didn't know it in such detail. It was surprising to say the least.

Sango's eyes widened, surprised at Kagome's words. Though she was sympathetic towards Kagome and Lynnette, her thoughts went back to Inuyasha. The hanyou was certainly in an odd situation since both Kikyou and Kagome cared deeply about this one woman. "...So, why did you change your mind on waiting for Inuyasha?"

"Honestly?" Kagome's lips quirked. "I got tired of feeling and being treated like second best. Yes, Inuyasha cares about Kikyou and always will, I know that. Yet every time I turned around, no matter what I did to care for him, he always ran to her. It seemed like he was her loyal dog, and I was just the temporary caretaker that was forgotten the instant she was around." She shook her head. "No matter how long I waited around, I finally realized he would never change. Even if I was barefoot and pregnant, he'd still run after her if somebody so much as _whispered_ Kikyou's name. That's what made me wake up and see where I really stood with him."

"Yes, but... now even Kikyou has fallen in love with Lynnette.." Sango murmured. "So I wonder what will happen now...?"

"If you are asking whether I'm jealous of Kikyou's feelings for Lynnette, the answer is no. She has room enough for both of us. When Lynnette dies..." She had to stop the quiver in her voice. "Inuyasha will be tripping all over himself to comfort Kikyou." Her shoulders jerked in a shrug. "Who knows, maybe she'll take him back..."

The more Inuyasha heard, the more his chest continued to clench. Did Kagome truly have such little faith in him? He knew that Kikyou loved Lynnette and now even Kagome... Did that mean his stupidity caused him to lose both of them to the same woman? It was almost too painful to imagine. Not wanting to listen to anymore of their conversation, he turned on his heel and ran off to the edge of the forest.


	21. Confessions of the heart

Author's note: Hello again, sorry this chapter took so long to get up! Once again thanks to Turtlequeen2 for all of her help with this chapter.

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A little while later, Kagome looked a lot better when she returned to camp with Sango. Seeing Lynnette's empty sleeping bag rolled up neatly next to hers, the young miko swallowed hard but she did not cry as she walked over and carefully picked it up. "Did everyone have enough to eat?"

Kikyou offered a smile but said nothing as the others nodded their heads.

Miroku then frowned. "...Did you manage to see Inuyasha while you were talking?" he pondered out loud. "...He went out to get you two a while ago because he was worried about how long you were taking."

She frowned. "I didn't see him, did you Sango?"

Sango also shook her head. "I caught no sign of him either," she answered.

"He hasn't been back since he left," Shippou added with another frown. "...I wonder if he's okay."

Muttering a few dark words under her breath, Kagome frowned. "You guys turn in, I'll go look for him."

Everyone else nodded, all worried about Inuyasha.

Starting off back the way she had came, Kagome sighed as she calmed her temper. She knew without a doubt that the hanyou must have overheard their conversation. Still, it was annoying to her. Kagome made up her mind that she was not going to apologize to him. Finally finding the tree that he was sitting in, she stood with her back against the tree.

Inuyasha had been brooding in a tree by himself until he caught Kagome's scent. Looking down at her, he found himself surprised. "K-Kagome you're here...!" he gasped before averting his head from her. He knew that she had found out about him overhearing.

"The others were worried about you." Kagome answered

He crossed his arms in his haori sleeves. "Keh! I don't see why they would be. I can take care of myself," he snorted as he usually did when others were concerned about him. He paused when he realized that Kagome didn't include herself. Glancing down at her again, he stifled a groan and hopped down from the tree so that he could stare at her directly.

"If you want an apology, you aren't going to get one." The black haired woman wouldn't look at him.

Inuyasha frowned. "Who said that I wanted one?" he retorted.

"Why else would you have run away?" She replied, as she spoke she put her hands behind her back and made herself comfortable. "You let your impatience get the better of you, and then you eavesdropped on a private conversation in which you heard more than you wanted to."

Inuyasha averted his head again, suppressing a growl. "So I guess you have very little faith in me now," he began, starting to get into what really bothered him aside from her lack of caring.

"Not so much that as I grew up." Kagome admitted. "I finally realized that I can't live my life waiting on the sidelines."

The hanyou nearly took a step back, feeling as if she had just slapped him. "...I see..."

Kagome sighed. "Even though I loved you, and I still love you, I can't just let you treat me like a ping-pong ball anymore."

"Kagome...I..." Inuyasha murmured, not sure of where to even start.

"It's odd, because I finally understand now what it's like to love two people at once, but..." Kagome let out a breath. "I have to be fair, I'm not going to hurt the ones I love that way- not ever again."

After falling silent for a few minutes, he decided to speak again. "...So why do you love Lynnette?"

"Her patience." Kagome replied. "And her strength." She took a deep breath. "Even when I'm climbing the walls or spitting mad, she's been the rock."

Inuyasha nodded his head slowly. "...So...why did you decide to put me aside now?"

"I'm not going to let her die feeling like I'm doing this out of pity. You have a longer lifespan Inuyasha. I'll get old, and my body will fail long before yours." Kagome kept her eyes on the moon. "You love Kikyou, and I understand that. She's good for you and has a prior claim no matter how I tried to deny it."

Inuyasha shook his head. "Kagome ...I..." he sucked in a deep breath as he mentally prepared himself. "...I love you, too... It's just that...you already know about how I just don't want her to be killed by Naraku again..." There. He said it. He loved her and now she finally heard it directly from his mouth.

Turning to look at Inuyasha, tears of joy filled her eyes. "I understand that better now, but do you understand where I'm coming from too?" She was thinking back to when Inuyasha had gone ballistic when Kagome let her friend sleep in her arms.

The hanyou was honestly surprised to see her look so happy at his confession. Just how long had she been waiting for him to say it? How long had he been so blind to her suffering? Letting out another breath, he nodded his head. "...I do..."

Kagome nodded, blinking back her tears. "Good."

Inuyasha's ears impulsively drooped down against his head. He idly wondered how long Lynnette had been waiting to hear Kagome say such words to her. Pressing the thoughts from his mind, prepared to say something else. "...I'm sorry for... hurting you like I have," he murmured. "I was too stupid not to notice your feelings for me sooner..."

Kagome smiled. "I'll agree with that." Quietly the young miko got control over herself again. "I think it was all the 'sits' I gave you."

The hanyou sighed again, knowing she would say something like that. "...So, have you told Lynnette that you loved her yet?" he questioned.

Slowly Kagome shook her head. "No. I'm not going to say it, but she knows it anyway. She doesn't want to step on your toes."

"...She also loves two people, right?" Inuyasha then asked. "...You and... Kikyou." He was still confused as what to do about Kikyou. Since their relationship ended with Naraku's interference, he really had no more say in what the miko did with her life.

She nodded. "I don't think that she's been able to work it out though, it's not like she has anyone to talk to..." The miko sighed. "I know she's going to die barring a miracle... but how can I blame her for taking comfort when Kikyou visits her? Better Kikyou than Naraku!"

Inuyasha nearly shuddered at the thought. If Lynnette ever fell for Naraku, there would be definite problems.

"My thoughts exactly. That's why I'm not jealous. Kikyou and I aren't competing with each other- We are a team and together we are doing what we can to make her smile. It's about doing your best with everything you have without worrying about how it looks to other people." Kagome said this slowly, as though she was showing Inuyasha something that the miko was just starting to learn herself.

The hanyou was beginning to realize that he had to grow up more. It was childish of him to continue treating Lynnette like she was interrupting his life since she most likely wouldn't live for much longer. He cared about her a lot even though he didn't show it. Nearly to the point of thinking of her as a sister of some sort. "...Kagome," he suddenly spoke. "...If it will make you happy, I'll... try harder to make Lynnette happy."

"That's all we ask Inuyasha. She cares about you too you know." Kagome smiled. "She already told Kikyou and I what to do with you after she died."

The hanyou's eyes widened. "...What did she say?"

"Lynn told us to drag you off and beat your stubborn head in with a frying pan until you do the right thing and marry us both if you still couldn't make up your mind- unless we just wanted to tie you up and marry you without ceremony." Kagome paused. "We are still not sure if that was a joke or not."

Inuyasha paled. While he didn't know what a "frying pan" was, he was sure it was something that would be painful if hit against his head. "...Marry?" he echoed. His head tilted slightly. "...What is that?"

"A ritual that claims you as a mate." Kagome only blushed a little. "Lynnette wants to be sure that our relationship will be an honorable one. Maybe its out of place all things considered, but she wants to be sure that you aren't going to get me pregnant then run off."

Inuyasha couldn't help the blush that lined his cheeks at that thought. Claim Kagome as mate? And... making her have a baby with him? "W-why would I run off if you were having our kid?" he stuttered out.

Kagome just looked at him. "That's what she wants to know."

"...I-If you were my mate, I'd _never_ abandon you..." Though he was embarrassed, anyone could hear the seriousness in his tone. The hanyou was not known to ever lie.

Kagome nodded. "I believe you, but I'm not the one you have to convince."

"...So... you want me to actually tell her that myself?" Inuyasha asked.

"That's up to you, but I would do it just to give her peace of mind." She replied. "It's very hard for her to let me go."

The hanyou nodded, beginning to see just how protective Lynnette was of Kagome. "...Then I'll talk to her when we get her away from Naraku..."

"I hope it's soon..." Kagome said.

Stepping forward, Inuyasha pulled Kagome into his arms. Getting a sincere expression on his face, he murmured, "I will not let Lynnette die by Naraku's hands. I'm willing to stake my life on that."

Kagome trembled in the hanyou's arms in an effort to hide the tears that always threatened to fall. "He's stealing her life from her, when Lynnette's trying so hard to give us all more time!" She finally sobbed. "She's trying so hard to hide the pain that Naraku puts her through on top of everything else, it isn't fair and she never did anything to deserve it!"

"I know, Kagome..." Inuyasha murmured in a quiet voice, rubbing his hand over her back in a comforting manner.

After a few minutes, Kagome pulled back and sniffed, wiping her dark chocolate eyes. "We should get back."

The hanyou nodded his head slowly, almost not wanting to end the moment with her. "Yeah...we should," he finally said after a few minutes of silence. Letting her start off first, he walked beside her. "Kagome..." he began. "I promise that I'll treat her better from now on... and I'll try not to pick fights over Lynnette's feelings for you two."

Her thoughts were sluggish and fogged with sleep, but the feeling of the heated water from the indoor spring Naraku had created in his lair revived her somewhat. As she fought for awareness, she felt her son's banked fury touch her mind. As she woke up by degrees, the horrified redhead realized two things: One, she was naked, and two Naraku was sitting calmly next to her giving her support so that she wouldn't fall over. "Wha-?" She murmured, reaching up to clear the sleep out of her eyes. '_What's going on?_' She asked her child. '_Are you okay?_'

The baby pulsed with anger, nearly hitting against her stomach but didn't do enough to make her physically ill. '_I'm fine, but I'm not sure if you are..._' he growled within her mind.

Lynnette sighed softly, straightening as best she could as she woke up. "Did you get bored Naraku?"

"Oh, you're finally awake," Naraku murmured with a smile. "I suppose you could say it's part of that..."

His mate scooted slightly away from his hold. "This isn't proper." Lynnette pointed out, her cheeks going bright red, as she hoped that he was clothed.

Fortunately for her, Naraku was clothed in his kimono and didn't fight her when she broke away. He frowned, looking over her fragile body. "You're not eating enough," he spoke as if it were a statement.

"I can't eat anymore." She replied, no bite in her voice as the water soothed her again.

The dark hanyou frowned even more. She's gotten to that point already? "Are you able to keep anything down?"

"Nothing, I haven't been able to eat since slightly before you put the child in me. If I eat anything now it is for the child, not for me. I think I've pretty much lost most my organs from belly down." She admitted. "When I eat, it's because the child wants food, not because I'm hungry myself."

Naraku let out a sigh. "That is unfortunate..." he murmured. If he had the ability, he probably would find some way to help her digest her food.

Closing her eyes, she let the chin touch the water, idly debating going back to sleep again.

The child inwardly frowned, noticing how out of it his mother was. '_Mother, are you all right? You're not too hot from the water, are you?_'

'_No, it feels good... I'm just tired. I don't hurt when I'm warm._' She replied quietly.

The infant pulsed in shock, realizing that her words weren't making sense. '_Mother... I don't think you're supposed to be in here for this long.._' His thoughts sounded panicked.

He then channeled his thoughts into his father's head. '_Father... get mother out of the water! She's becoming feverish!_'

Naraku's eyes widened in an instant. Now that he thought about it, she had slept in the water for over a few hours. It was no wonder that she was overheated! Rising to his feet, he went over to her body carefully pulled her out of the water, draping a cloth over her body to keep his eyes off of her nudity.

She whimpered in protest, shivering once she was out of the water. "It's cold, put me back in." She managed to say through chattering teeth.

To this, Naraku grabbed one of his furs and wrapped it around her body before lifting her up in his arms. "I'll take you to your room," he announced. "I wouldn't want you to faint in the water."

Lynnette was so out of it that she didn't fight in the hanyou's hold, she just snuggled in the fur.

Naraku wrapped the fur tightly around her body and held her close as he continued to walk slowly back towards her room.

'_I'm okay._' She told the child. '_Stop squirming._'

'_I'm just concerned about you..._' the infant murmured.

Once in her room, she nestled in a pile of furs and sheets. The redhead said nothing as the dark Hanyou stretched out beside her and played with her hair.

Naraku leaned over and gently kissed her forehead, pulling her closer. He didn't like how her eyes were still hazed over and knew that he had to make sure her body calmed down before taking her anywhere near the bath again. He knew that his own negligence almost killed her. He cursed in his mind at his own stupidity.

Lynnette sighed and watched him, frowning slightly. "What?"

The dark hanyou then rolled her body so that she was resting against him. He raised his body heat slightly to both give the child more strength and keep her warm. He frowned again, realizing that the jewelry he was planning to give her would only hurt her skin. He thought about how he would make her his mate in such a fragile state. He had many plans for her but they all involved his assumption that she would live to see them come to fruition.

A few minutes later, Lynnette was fast asleep, her soft breath caressing his exposed skin.

After a few days of allowing her to recover, Naraku waited for Lynnette to arrive from within his study. He was inwardly eager to see her in the clothing he had picked out for her since it would be the first time she would have the chance to wear them.

When the redhead emerged, it was in a dark green kimono with flowering vines of pink flowers and a spring green obe with matching undergarment. "I hope I have this on right..."

Naraku's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the woman. Just as he predicted, she looked stunning in the clothing. She truly looked like the Empress he intended for her to become. "..You look very beautiful," he admitted.

Lynnette looked surprised at the compliment. "Thank you... I think... You wanted to see me?"

Naraku nodded and rose to his feet. "I want to show you something."

Looking confused, she laid a hand worriedly on her extended midsection as she waited.

Leading the way out of the door, he keep his pace slow so that she could keep up with him as he walked down the dark corridors and out into the backyard of the castle. Aside from the shouki-infested areas making up most of the property, a path of light lead out into the middle of the land that was completely free of any bad energy. It was almost like a barrier was keeping that one patch of land free from miasma.

A flicker of life sparked in her eyes as she looked at the pathway, experimentally reaching out her hand towards it, it was as though she was testing for a trap even as a flood of yearning washed through her.

"I made sure to put a protective barrier around this patch of land so that the shouki wouldn't effect you," Naraku explained. "...This area is yours to do what you wish with it."

Looking at the clean space, the spark of life grew even brighter, and she actually perked up. "You can't get into the area can you with the barrier up?"

The dark hanyou shook his head. "It's an area only for you."

Her interest increased. '_Would it hurt you?_' She asked the child.

The child thought for a moment. '_I don't believe it will... so long as you don't stay inside it all day..._'

Carefully Lynnette explored the area, the barrier humming as though in joy as she passed. "You moved the garden?" She sounded touched.

Naraku nodded his head. "I even added some new plants," he added. He inwardly smirked when he saw the expression on Lynnette's face. He knew that she was softening towards him.

Inwardly, the child panicked. He could only hope that his mother wouldn't let him manipulate her.

"Oh really?" Lynnette shifted as though she wanted to get out of her wheelchair to better see her garden, but stopped when she remembered her new clothing.

The dark hanyou stepped forward. "Do you need any help?"

"No thank you... Just remembered I can't get dirty in these clothes." She sounded more awake, no longer in a sleepy compliant daze.

The older man couldn't help the small smile that formed on his face at her second sign of softening.

She circled the garden three times, feeding the seeds with a thimbleful of power each before returning. "Did you really burn my clothes?"

The smile remained in place. "Yes, I did," he replied. "It's better if you always wore clean clothes instead of dressing in those worn out clothes."

"I could put those on by myself!" She snapped. "Those were mine regardless of your opinions!"

Naraku's smile fell away, replaced with a frown.

Rolling backwards to re-enter the clean air she took a deep breath to calm herself. "I had my reasons for wearing those clothes Naraku. You've never tried to dress when your body won't do what you want it to."

Ignoring the pain he would feel, Naraku reached out, pulling her wheelchair closer towards him. He then picked her up from her chair and embraced her from behind. "If it will please you, I will listen to your requests when you tell me what type of clothing you'd like to wear."

"I can ask Kagome if I can barrow some of hers." She admitted. "I'm thin enough now anyway, so hers will be a little big on me."

Naraku's eyes narrowed at that thought. Why would Lynnette consider borrowing clothes that were clearly beneath her future stature? At least in a kimono, she looked the role befitting of an empress and it was harder to dirty.

The infant decided that it was time for him to step in. '_Father,_' he began, channeling thoughts into Naraku's mind. '_Please remember that Mother is not used to being dressed or housed so lavishly. It's only natural for her to react this way._'

Lynnette was nervous, not wanting to wrinkle her clothes and not happy in his arms. "Please put me back in my chair." She shifted slightly as though trying to straighten her rich clothes.

"I want you to at least see if you can get used to your clothing first before insisting on getting other types of clothing," Naraku insisted before gently putting the young woman back into her chair.

"Was there anything else you wanted?" Lynnette asked politely, smoothing back her hair.

The dark hanyou stifled a sigh. "Not at the moment, but if something comes up, I'll be sure to send your saimyoushou to you," he murmured. It was the first time he regarded Buzzer as her own instead of one of his creations.

With a smile, she held up her hand to allow Buzzer a perch. "I think I have my own swarm, although Buzzer is the most loyal of the group. Am I allowed to travel?" She frowned. "Kagura isn't trustworthy and I would like to get a good view of the surrounding lands."

The older man nodded. "You're free to do so, but going beyond a few yards will put you in immediate danger due to the shouki and the youkai who are begging to get inside of my barrier," he then explained.

'_You promised that you would give Mother lands of her own to rule Father._' The child reminded his sire. '_She can't remain dependant on us forever- providing she survives my birth._'

"I am still here you know." She poked her midsection as she addressed her son.

The baby twitched inside of Lynnette. '_I have a plan, Mother,_' he assured the girl without alerting Naraku.

'_All right son._' Lynnette replied, saying aloud. "He says I need another nap. Will you excuse us?"

Deciding that it was useless to argue, Naraku nodded his head and left the area.

Returning to her Quarters she nodded even as she yawned. "Are you making me tired again?" Lynnette looked longingly at the hot pool in the bathing room.

The child stiffened up within his mother. He was terrified of letting her into the hot spring due to the near death experience she had. '_Nothing of the sort,_' the child assured her. '_But regarding the lands I've been insisting on... I want to know how you would be able to handle it all on your own._'

"I won't know until I see exactly what I have to work with Takeshi." She said absently as she started to remove her too-fine clothing, avoiding the mirror as she did so.

The baby fell silent quickly as the name registered in his mind. '_Takeshi? Is that my name?_'

"Your name is Takeshi Morio. Takeshi means 'Warrior' or 'fierce' and Morio means 'Protector'. I wanted a name that suited you." She told her child quietly. "Names are very important because they have power too."

If it was possible, the infant's eyes would have widened in shock. It seemed like such an honorable name to give someone. '_...Thank you, Mother._' He was too much of a mixture of happy and surprised to say much else.

"It is my hope that you will live up to your name and be a son I am proud of even if I'm not here now." His mother answered quietly, folding her clothes and carefully smoothing out wrinkles.

If the infant could have nodded his head, he would have done so. '_I'll...do my best..._' he promised to his mother.

With a sigh, she began to riffle through her borrowed closet. "As much as I'd like to spend time in the garden, these clothes are far too fine for that... maybe a nap?"

'_I don't mind it if you're tired..._' came the reply.

"I'm not really, I guess you are protecting me from the miasma. What I am is cold more than anything." Against her will the redhead yawned. "The darkness of this place keeps messing up my clock! I hate sleeping all the time, I want things to do..."

'_Perhaps you should bring that up with Naraku..._' the infant suggested.

"I don't want to push his buttons, do you want me to start throwing up again?" Lynnette sighed, not bothering to dress as she circled the room restlessly, her mind sharply awake and aware in a way that the child had never seen before. "There has to be..." Suddenly Lynnette grinned and wrestled her bag on the platform that served as her bed, She pulled one thing out after another before finding an unused binder and a mechanical pencil. Clicking it twice, the redhead began to write rapidly with an intensity that ignored everything else around her.

The infant's shifted in his mother's womb. '_What are you planning...?_' he pondered, not seeing his mother as intense in a while.

Lynnette did not answer him as her handwriting filled page after page, hours flew by and the redhead didn't seem to notice the drop in temperature- or the amused hanyou standing in the door watching her. In fact, the only thing that snapped her out of the writing frenzy was when a pelt was draped around her bare shoulders. The mental thump back to earth was so sudden it was painful. "Huh? what?" She shook her head slightly. "Who's there?" She was still slightly confused as Lynnette tried to gather her wits.

Naraku watched Lynnette for several minutes while she wrote. She never once looked up to acknowledge his presence, giving him the impression that she had no clue he was even there. With her shoulders hunched over, he could see the frail skin that poked through the kimono, showing bone that shouldn't normally be able to be seen. He didn't like seeing her in such a condition at all. Even while she wrote, she shivered but didn't seen to even notice that she was cold. Having seen enough, the man moved forward and gave her his baboon pelt.

Shaking her head, she regained control of herself. "Whoa... the writing goddess got me good that time!" Taking a deep breath, she pulled the pelt tighter around her. She whistled sharply when she saw the blackness on the side of her hand. "Wow..."

'_Mother... are you alright?_' the baby asked, almost fearing that the woman got possessed by a demon.

Putting her pencil down, she flexed her hand to regain feeling in it. "I'm fine child."

The dark hanyou was immediately interested in what she had to write. "...Is it another letter?" he guessed with an arched eyebrow.

Shutting the notebook she shook her head, going over to the closet to find a thick robe to wear over her undergarments before speaking. "No, I was just brainstorming."

Naraku furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Brainstorming? As in she was writing for leisure purposes?

Finding a fine fur lined robe, she pulled off his pelt and wrapped herself on the robe, hiding her thinness again in a protective manner. "Did you want something?"

The dark hanyou paused. "...I wanted to check up on you since you said you were suddenly tired."

"I was thinking about going back into the spring... It's cold out today." Lynnette turned up the collar on her robe and looked at the notebook again. "but I'm not done yet either..." Clearly she was torn between wanting to get warm again and getting back to work on her project.

"Do you want anymore blankets?" Naraku then offered, hesitant on letting her go back into the spring after she nearly died under his watch.

"You keep adding to my bed and I'll be smothered in my sleep!" Lynnette pointed out, but her face looked amused.

Naraku frowned slightly, but didn't fail to notice her expression. "We wouldn't want that now, would we...?"

She picked up the notebook and thumbed through it, humming softly in approval. "It will not be long now." She said softly. Lynnette laid her hand on her swollen midsection as she spoke.

The older man nodded his head in agreement. "It will be very soon."

"I want to go back." Lynnette said firmly. "They need to be present."

Naraku blinked, caught off guard by this sudden revelation. He wasn't sure if he could go through with that with everything the two parties had done to each other lately.

"I deserve this time to say goodbye to them Naraku." Lynnette's voice was still firm.

The dark hanyou's eyes narrowed, immediately reaching out to pull her close against him. His eyes swirled with conflict but mostly heat from anger. The thought of her dead made his gut churn with disgust.

Lynnette stiffened and bit back a cry of pain from his hold. "Ow, that hurts!"

Naraku's grip loosened when he realized that he was hurting her. However, he still didn't release her. "The birth of that child will _not_ make you die," he vowed.

His response seemed to sadden the redhead. "Death is a natural part of life Naraku. If it's my time to go then it's my time to go." She told him quietly. "I'm not worried about that anymore."

Naraku fell silent, realizing just how different they were in terms of mentality. She was actually accepting of her death without question while his human heart was desperate enough to have a working body that he sold his soul to demons.

"Are you finished grabbing me now?" Lynnette asked.

The older man didn't say anything to her question, continuing to hold her. "Why are you so accepting of your death?" he finally asked.

"I had a lot of time to think about it and to come to terms with it. I realized that I'll live on in the hearts of those I care about, and that they'll finish whatever tasks I'm leaving undone. Besides, I'll come back again in the next cycle. It's never really goodbye, it's just a see you later." She smiled sadly. "My faith is strong, and I'm not afraid of where I'll end up."

Naraku began to figure out that he honestly never thought about his own death. He was so sure of himself that he'd never die because of his lust for the jewel and the power he obtained. However, when it came down to it, he was just like any other normal human. He feared death. "...How insightful of you..." he murmured.

"Put me back in my chair please." His Empress didn't reply to his comment. As she spoke, she smoothed down her robe. "I want to keep moving while I have momentum before I crash again."

The older man didn't have any other excuse to keep her against him and so placed her back into her chair.

Once back in her chair, she tightened the belt of her robe, and picked up the notebook again, dismissing Naraku from her mind. Watching her write, it was like seeing who she'd once been. A person completely devoted to whatever project she bent her mind to. Once the redhead started on something, there was no stopping her until it was done. About then, Naraku's son spoke up, sounding afraid. '_Father, I'm not sure, but I think these are ideas for the territory you promised her._'

Naraku's eyebrow raised. '_Ideas? Like what?_'

Takeshi was nervous. '_I could be wrong, because she'd shutting me out, and I can't tell what she's thinking now. The writing isn't in Japanese either. Your guess is as good as mine, but if you are going to give her a territory, do it soon._'

The evil hanyou frowned, hating that neither of them had any clue what she was planning to do. '_I'll look into it tomorrow._'

It was sunrise when Buzzer dropped the note in Kagome's lap as the younger miko finished her breakfast. Thanking the hell insect, Kagome opened it and laughed after a few minutes of reading. "Oh my, Lynn's mad now! Naraku burned all her usual clothes, and she asked me if she can borrow some of mine."

Still chuckling, Kagome shook her head. "Sango, I'll need to borrow Kiara again."

Sango raised her eyebrow. "...Are you going to get her more clothes?" she asked.

Without even being ordered, the nekomata walked towards Kagome before transforming into her larger form.

"Yes, my clothing won't fit her. I already know that so I have to go back to my time to get new ones for her. She says she isn't comfortable wearing the clothes Naraku gave her. They are too fancy and it makes her nervous."

Kikyou frowned. "He's not even letting her wear her own clothes anymore..."

Kagome frowned. "I know, and I don't like it either."

"Wait.. how are we even going to get her the clothes?" Inuyasha interrupted.

"She says that Kikyou could take them. Apparently Naraku gave permission for the visits to continue. He's working overtime trying to win her." Now Kagome swallowed. "Lynnette's been playing along so that he'll give her more freedom and stop making her pass out or get sick all the time. He can use his offspring to control her whenever he wants."

Inuyasha let a small growl escape. "That bastard..."

"For the record, Lynnette says that Takeshi doesn't like it either, and always apologizes afterwards." As Kagome spoke, she was busy rearranging her bag so that there would be room in it for the redhead's things.

"Takeshi?" Miroku echoed. "...So she gave the infant a name?"

"Yes, she says that it made him turn against Naraku more, since he never named him."

The monk nodded. "...Well, that's more in her favor then..."

Finished with her sorting, Kagome sighed. "I'll need to walk a bit back in case Naraku is watching. It won't take me long and I should be back by tomorrow night if not the morning after that. I don't sense any shards, and Lynn says she'll try to keep Naraku distracted-" She shuddered at this thought. "Until I come back. However Kikyou is here, so you won't need to worry about finding the shards... but..." She bit her lip uncertainly.

Kikyou withheld the urge to shiver at the thought. She hated knowing that Lynnette had to "play along" with Naraku's whims. Who knew what that sick bastard had in mind for her?

"When I send her the clothes, I want to give her the pair of jewel shards that she was wearing when she came here." Kagome finished in a rush.

Inuyasha bristled at those words. "...Wait, you want to hand jewel shards to her... who is staying with Naraku?" He growled. "Are you out of your mind?"

"I want her to have them for her own protection!" Kagome snapped as she stood up. "If they can make Koga-kun's legs move faster, then why can't their power make her legs work like a normal person's."

"And you think Naraku's really going to let her keep them?" Inuyasha argued back.

"Her power can fight Naraku's taint. Look at what happened when Takeshi tried to attack you!"

Kikyou let out a sigh and got in between the fighting pair. "If it will make you feel better, I will place my power into the shards so Naraku won't be able to touch them," she said.

Kagome threw Kikyou a grateful look. "Thank you."

Inuyasha growled, still looking skeptical but relented. "...Are you sure that Naraku couldn't just taint them by using the infant?"

Kikyou shook her head. "...If the infant tried to taint them, it would hurt him as well."

Satisfied that she had gotten her way, Kagome hoisted her bag on her shoulder as she patted Kirara's head. "I better get going, I'm going to backtrack for an hour before flying back with Kirara the rest of the way."

Shippou was prepared to jump into the conversation and ask Kagome to bring him back the usual treats, but felt that it was an inappropriate time to ask. He frowned, deciding to keep quiet.

"Be careful," Miroku advised.

"Always am." She smiled her winning smile at the group. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Still pouting, Inuyasha just nodded towards her. Usually he would have threatened to pull her back if she was gone for too long, but felt that she hadn't been back in her time in such a long time. After all of the stress she had been going through, it probably was best if she spent some break in her own time.

Without a word, Kagome started walking back down the road with Kirara following behind.

Wanting to say something else to the younger woman, Kikyou decided to go after her reincarnation without saying anything to the others before she left.

Kagome walked at Kirara's side, keeping one hand on the nekomata as she chatted companionably with the cat.

Picking up her pace, Kikyou finally called out, "Kagome!"

Looking surprised, Kagome stopped and turned slightly toward Kikyou. "Kikyou?"

The older woman caught up to Kagome and stopped in front of the miko. "...I feel like we haven't had the chance to properly discuss all that's happened between us over these past few weeks..." she began.

Kagome nodded. "I understand that, it's hard to find privacy in a group." She smiled. "You can walk with me now, Kirara won't tell."

Kikyou nodded her head, beginning to keep pace with Kagome's walking. "I can sense it from you... You're in love with those two, yes?" She wasn't going to beat around the bush.

"Yeah, It's weird because I've lost count of the times I've fought with Inuyasha about running after you but..." Kagome sighed. "All this time, she's been my rock and pretty much the reason I kept coming back after every fight. She reminds me a lot of you. You are like the older wiser version of me that I always wanted to be."

Kikyou almost laughed at Kagome's honesty. "...I suppose I should take that as a compliment.."

"There was a time when I wondered if maybe I only loved Inuyasha as a way to get to you." She admitted. "Even when you treated me like a bug to be stepped on, I still admired you." Kagome shrugged. "I never had the courage to even speak to you on my own before now."

The older miko raised her eyebrow. "Oh?" she commented. She shook her head. "...You know... to be honest... I've admired you also, Kagome."

Kagome smiled a touch sadly at Kikyou. "There's a saying in my time: 'You don't know what you have until it's not there anymore'. I never realized how true that was before now."

Kikyou nodded her head. "...That seems to be true for us," she agreed. "...I treated you coldly before... because I wanted to test your worth... but also..." She paused. "...I was envious of your bright spirit. I noticed that you were able to draw out a side of Inuyasha that I never had the honor of seeing."

"I envied the fact that you could inspire unquestioning loyalty. He'd drop everything to help you no matter what was going on or where we were. No questions asked just Zoom! a cloud of dust as he ran to your side."

Kikyou knew that Kagome had a point. "...But I always knew that part of that was also caused by his guilt of losing me the first time... I'm sure he's just as terrified of losing you too."

"He never showed it, not in a way that counted."

"But it was _your_ voice he heard when I tried to drag him to Hell all those months ago, right?" Kikyou pointed out.

"How much of that was him just grabbing at an escape though? How come I'm always the one he leaves behind when we both know that you are a big girl and can take care of yourself!" Kagome exhaled sharply. "We both know he'd never do that for me."

The older miko shook her head, knowing that their conversation wouldn't be going anywhere beyond this subject if they continued. "...Well... in any case, regardless of Inuyasha's true feelings towards both of us... I want to call a truce between us."

"Agreed. We don't have time to argue anymore, not when Lynn needs us."

Kikyou nodded again. "I care deeply for Lynnette... and the less trauma she has to live through, the better..."

"I love her enough that I'll try to make her as happy as I can. I haven't exactly made things easy on her before now..." Her eyes darkened. "Sometimes I wish she would have lost her temper and gave me a good solid thump in the head when I was crying in her lap mooning over him!"

The older woman sighed. "...He's made you suffer a lot, it seems..."

"It seemed like every time I turned around I was jumping through the well in tears or sputtering in fury." She admitted wryly.

After a minute of companionable silence, Kagome groaned. "Uh oh, I'm sensing two jewel shards moving fast it must be Koga-kun heading our way... this is _not_ what I need right now..."

Kikyou didn't even need to hear Kagome say those words, already sensing the jewel shards on her own. "...This is troublesome..."

Kagome was edging towards a bad mood. "We can't outrun him I'm afraid Kikyou, but you don't have to stay if you don't want to."

"I suppose I'll stay and see what he wants to do..." Kikyou murmured.

Moments later, the familiar tornado was in view. Within seconds, the smoke cleared with Kouga grasping Kagome's hands in his out of habit. "Hey there, Kagome!" he greeted with a smirk.

Kagome quickly removed herself from his grasp. "Hello Koga-kun."

The wolf demon pouted slightly, but thought nothing of her actions. "I was just passing through and decided to pay you a visit."

"Thank you, but I was just leaving. I need to take care a few things back home." She patted Kirara's head. For the first time, the young miko sounded completely indifferent to Koga.

Kouga frowned. "...Is there something wrong?"

"Lynnette wrote me and asked me to get some things for her. I don't like keeping her waiting too long." Kagome replied.

"Is there any way I could help?" the wolf asked. "I wouldn't want my woman to be in a bind."

Kikyou inwardly shook her head, knowing Kouga just said the wrong words.

Kagome looked angry, and her voice turned cold. "No thank you Koga, I have it all under control. Unlike some women, I don't need a _man_ to help me with my problems." She shrugged out of her backpack before testing it's weight and putting it on Kirara's back. "Thank you for waiting Kirara." Frowning slightly, she looked at Kikyou. "I should be back tomorrow, the day after at the _latest_. Buzzer should be stopping by tonight, so write her a short note letting her know I'm okay and that I've got her back as always."

The wolf demon was stunned. He stepped back as if she had just slapped him.

Turning back to Koga, she softened slightly. "I've grown up and I'm learning to stand up on my own two feet. I am not your property and I refuse to let you treat me as such!" Her voice hardened slightly. "I am not _your woman_. I never was _your woman_."

Kouga fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "...Does this have anything to do with Inuyasha?"

"No, he has nothing to do with this." She replied. "These are _my_ choices, this is _my_ life Koga, not his, and not yours!"

The wolf demon looked hurt. So she was rejecting him. "...I-I had... no idea you felt this way..."

"Neither did Inuyasha." Kagome grinned. "Lynnette said it was about time I put my foot down and spoke up for myself."

Kouga's eyes widened. "Y-you told the mutt the same thing?" he gasped.

"The exact same thing." Kagome replied, deciding that their discussion was none of Koga's business. "Right now I don't have the time or the patience for your fighting over me. Not now, not when my friend is dying in Naraku's lair!"

"Oh...I see..." Kouga trailed off, his tail drooping behind him.

"He turned the disease inside her into his offspring, Naraku ensured that my friend would die in agony." Kagome's voice was tight with fury. "I haven't seen her since she left after your visit."

The wolf youkai frowned even more. All this time, he barely knew about what was going on with Kagome and her group. "...I had no idea..."

Kikyou decided to step in. "...This isn't information that we give out to just anyone, youkai," she pointed out.

"When I let her come with me Koga, it was with the knowledge that she would die. Our only goal was to be together so that she wouldn't be alone. She didn't care that she was dying, she cared about leaving me alone. Every day she spent with me, she was in pain- but she stayed because she wanted me to smile, she wanted to watch me grow up and _stand on my own_!" Her voice was low and intense with emotion.

Kouga stood in silence, letting Kagome's words sink in. Slowly, he was beginning to realize that Kagome was more than close with Lynnette. The miko loved that woman. He had always thought that Inuyasha was his only rival for her affections but a woman had bested them both without them even noticing!

"I might not be able to save her life, but I can do the things that matter, the little things that make her comfortable. And I will pour out every drop of my blood before I let her die in Naraku's arms." Kagome looked up at the sky, judging the time. "I have to go, I want to get home before dark so I can be back first thing in the morning."

The wolf opened his mouth to say something but found that he was at a loss for words. What could he say to her?

"She named the child, Naraku's offspring does not acknowledge him. I'll raise Lynnette's son as my own after she passes." She told Koga.

The young man's eyes widened in shock. Even if he had gotten Kagome as his mate, he'd never be able to raise another man's child unless it was one of his own pack. And he sure as hell wouldn't raise a child that was created from Naraku! "...Did she put you up to that?" Kouga couldn't help but ask.

"No, she never asked me to do that. Love means you do things without being asked, knowing that your mate would do the same for you unasked." Kagome shook her head. "We never talked about it, but we don't really have to."

Kouga sighed. "...I see..." Knowing there wasn't really much else to talk about, he forced a smile. "Well... I hope you can get that girl back from Naraku," he murmured. "I hope I can see you around." Without waiting for either of them to speak, he turned around and ran off.

Kagome sighed and took a deep breath. "Kikyou..." She hesitated, wondering if the elder miko would fight with her over Takeshi.

Kikyou was mildly surprised by Kagome's declaration but thought fit to save the conversation for another time. "...It's up to Lynnette to decide what's best for her child," she only said in response.

"I know that- I said it to Koga to prove a point." She smiled. "I'm glad he won't bother me anymore."

Kikyou nodded her head, returning the smile. It was bothersome that the wolf never tried to learn Lynnette's name. It was a good thing he left since it saved him from target practice.

"I'd better go, Keep an eye on everyone while I'm gone?"

"Of course," the older miko replied.

Climbing on Kirara's back, she grinned at Kikyou. "I'll be back soon, then you can go visit her."

"I'll be looking forward to it," Kikyou added.

A few hours later, Kagome dismounted from Kirara's back and shouldered her bag. 'I hope I won't be gone for too long. Mother's going to nag me about going to school, but I honestly don't have time for it. Hopefully my friends won't see me either- not in the mood for chit-chat...' The young miko thought as she patted her friend goodbye. "I'll be back in a day or two Kirara, be good for Kaede." Watching Kirara go off, she jumped in the well without looking back. As the warm magenta light surrounded her, she allowed herself a private sigh. She had a feeling this reunion wouldn't be easy for her no matter what she did this time around.


	22. Hello and Goodbye

Author's note: Hello again, sorry the final chapter took so long to get up! Once again thanks to Turtlequeen2 for all of her help with this chapter. I'd also like to thank Inu-midoriko for stepping in to finish this chapter when it was needed.

Inu-midoriko: Thanks for always being there for me!

* * *

Arriving back home, Kagome opened the door as she removed her shoes. All she wanted was to hurry up and get back before Lynnette started to worry. "I'm home!" She called- half hoping that her brother was the only one home. Her mother would not be happy with her...

Unfortunately for her, Mrs. Higurashi entered the kitchen as soon as she heard her daughter walk through the back door. "Kagome! You're home after being gone for so long!" she exclaimed before moving to embrace her daughter tightly.

"Things are going really bad right now mom, I'm going back first thing tomorrow after restocking some things." Kagome said, looking tired as she embraced her mother. "I'd like to stay longer- but I don't want to be away for long."

The older woman frowned. "You haven't been home in several months and you're only staying one night? At least stay long enough to get your barrings together..."

"Mom I _can't_. I promised her I'd be back tomorrow- the day after at the latest. We are so close to getting all the shards that I don't want to risk loosing the momentum now." Kagome tossed the bag on the couch.

Mrs. Higurashi let out a sigh. "What happened to you over there?" she asked, tossing her daughter a serious look. She knew that something was wrong since Kagome was in such a hurry. Usually, her daughter would take her time before going back in time.

"Naraku's kidnapped Lynn mom. She's not going to last much longer- he did something that made her even weaker." Kagome admitted in defeat.

The older woman's eyes widened. "Oh no! That's horrible!" she gasped.

"I wanted to put together a few things that- I hope!- will make her more comfortable. He lets one of us visit every few weeks, or lets her come herself. That's why I haven't been home before- I didn't want to risk not seeing her."

The older woman sighed. "Well, even with this problem, Jii-chan can only make up so many health excuses for your long absence before they make you repeat a grade..."

"Tell them that there is an illness in the family and that I'm spending time with her before she dies."

Mrs. Higurashi shook her head. "Even with whatever good excuse you come up with, if you miss too much material, they won't think you're ready enough to continue on to the next grade," she murmured. "One of your teachers already called me yesterday, explaining to me that you need to pass the next exam in order to avoid failing his class."

Kagome let out an angry sound. "Mom, this is Lynn we are talking about here! I'll repeat the grade if I have to, but I can't let her down." Upset now, she lost her temper and kicked one of Souta's toys. "She's already at the point where she doesn't eat or sleep. The last time I saw her she was coughing up blood- and Naraku just stood there smiling!"

It was at this moment that Souta decided to come into the room. "Hey, Kagome-!" he let out before seeing her kick one of his toys. His eyes widened in shock, never seeing his sister so livid in his life.

Their mother was also surprised with Kagome's rage, but stood her ground. "Kagome!" she said in a louder voice. She sucked in a deep breath. "I understand why you're upset and I'm worried about Lynnette's well being, but you _also_ need to figure out what you're going to do before you go back."

Her raven-haired daughter's mouth tightened even more into a hard line of fury. "I've been thinking about it Mother. I want you to pull me out of school. I'll pass any test you give me if you want to homeschool me, but right now the most important thing to me is to stop Naraku and get Lynnette back before it's too late." Her tone was strangely resolute and focused. "If I fail you'll suffer too you know mom. Naraku knows about the well."

Mrs. Higurashi paled, not wanting to know what Naraku would be capable of. She knew there was a definite risk of Kagome being killed if he did succeed. "If that's really what you want then I'll do it," she murmured. "_But_ you need to at least pass this last test before I can fill out the paperwork."

"Fine." Kagome snapped, kicking the toy again, this time sending it flying across the room barely missing the table.

Souta cringed, making sure to stay clear of his sister's way.

Looking around, Kagome made an angry sound before storming outside. Several minutes later awkward sounds of cropping wood could be heard as the young Miko struggled to vent her anger.

The older woman sighed and shook her head. She had never seen Kagome look so distraught before. It was truly a desperate situation.

"I haven't heard her try to chop wood since our dog died when she was ten..." Kagome's grandfather chimed in as he walked up behind Mrs. Higurashi.

All night Kagome chopped wood, it wasn't until dawn was blushing pink across the sky when she finally stumbled back into the house. Her eyes were drained and both hands were tinged red from bleeding from holding the axe so long. She passed her grandfather on the stairs without seeing him.

Jii-chan's eyes widened when he saw Kagome's bruised and bloodied hands. "Kagome! Stop!" he called out, reaching out to her. "Your hands..."

Kagome blinked and looked at her hands listlessly. "Oh... I need to wash up before I crash." Her tone was indifferent.

The old man shook his head. "Go to your room. I'll be there in a minute with the first aid kit."

Nodding automatically, Kagome went into the bathroom to get a water basin to rinse her hands. She carried it into her room and was sitting on her bed staring into space when her grandfather came into the room.

The older man sat beside her on the bed, setting the first aid kit beside him and opening up the box. "Hold your hands out," he instructed, grabbing a cloth she had gotten from the bathroom and dipping it in the water.

Wordlessly Kagome did as she was told. As the blood was washed away, it was revealed that there were a few splinters in her palms.

Jii-chan frowned. "What got into you, Kagome?" he asked as he gently cleaned her wounds and tried to pry the splinters out with tweezers.

"I feel like I'm a hamster on a hamster wheel grandpa. Nothing I do is getting me anywhere!" She flinched when he dug in a little.

The old man flashed her an apologetic glance when he saw her flinch. Once the splinters were out, he took out rubbing alcohol and dabbed some of the liquid onto a cotton ball. He then applied it onto cuts. "I can see why you're frustrated then..."

"I knew Lynn was dying, that was bad enough. It was bad when I had to knock Inuyasha's head in shut him up to leave her in peace. But Naraku kidnapped her... Grandpa- I've never been so scared in my life. He turned the cancer into a living thing!" Kagome shuddered in a horror that had no words. "Lynn is a priestess too you know."

Jii-chan's eyes widened. "How did he manage to do that?" he asked, referring to Lynnette's cancer. After he disinfected the wounds, he pulled out gauze and bandages, wrapping up her hands.

"He... oh I'll just say it! He 'impregnated' her by making her swallow a part of his flesh." Kagome bit back a sob. "His body regenerates itself, and I guess you could call it a demonic sort of cloning. Each part he casts off becomes an independent... thing..."

"That vile demon!" the old man couldn't help but curse, paling in disgust at that piece of information. "Isn't there some way to purify him?"

"That's what we are trying to do. I have to stop him grandpa, I have to. Lynnette can't last much longer..." She began to shake. "It- he- is eating her from the inside. When she was allowed to visit, she almost died twice in my arms. I didn't sleep either, I know she didn't- we were both scared."

Jii-chan closed up the wrappings on her hands and could do nothing else but pull his granddaughter into a hug. "I trust that you'll be able to get Lynnette back safely." Now he was able to understand why Kagome was so upset.

"I'm trying, I'll pour out my own blood without a second thought to get her back. She's not dying in the dark while I can stop it. But I can't be worried about what's going on here, we don't have the time! _She_ doesn't have the time!"

The old man shook his head, having overheard what his daughter-in-law told Kagome. "I don't think she understands how urgent this is," he murmured. "I'll try to talk to her tomorrow so you won't be stuck here for a week."

"Thank you Grandfather..." She smiled a sleepy smile. "I think I can sleep now..."

Jii-chan returned the weary smile, standing up and removing the things off of the bed before letting her move under the covers. He then lifted the blankets, tucking her in. "Good night, Kagome."

Three days later, Kagome was fuming as she studied the pile of textbooks in front of her. She was still wearing the bandages on her hands. Nothing Jii-chan had said changed her mother's mind, although her mother had relented and went shopping for Kagome. The test was tomorrow, but she wouldn't get the results until Monday, and Mrs. Higurashi insisted that Kagome not leave until the results were in and discussed. So she had been studying like a person possessed, driving all her friends in this time away in the process.

As if the gods were cursing her, it wasn't long before the inevitable happened. The window to her room slid open as Inuyasha appeared on the window sill. "Kagome?" he said, noticing the girl drowning in her books.

Kagome snapped her head around at the same time she chair tipped back and fell with a crash. "Ow!" She yelled.

Inuyasha jumped down onto the floor and closed the window behind him before moving to her side. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Taking a deep breath, she waited for the pain to ease before rolling over and getting to her feet. "Just peachy." The words were almost a snarl as the miko righted her chair and began to pick up her scattered notes with the books.

He flinched upon hearing her tone. "...Why are you still here? I thought you said you'd be back in a day..."

"I got grounded until the next test. Mom doesn't like that I've been gone for so long." From the look in her eyes, a 'sit' wasn't far away.

Inuyasha could see the look in her eyes and knew he was in trouble. He knew not to try his usual snapping tactics. "...When will you be able to come back?"

"When I pass and mom sees the results." Her words were clipped. "If I do well, mom agreed to pull me out of school until Naraku's dead." She sighed. "Though I think she only said that after she saw me loose my temper and kick one of Souta's toys across the room..."

Inuyasha was pretty sure if Kagome had her usual stressed out expression on her face, it was no wonder her mother would have caved at least that much. "Well... Kikyou went off to visit Lynnette again. She said she'd stay with her until you came back," he explained.

Kagome looked relieved. "Good. I was worried about stressing Lynnette out, and mom wouldn't let me jump in the well to give Kirara a note to take back to all of you."

The hanyou withheld a frustrated growl and went to sit on her bed. "I'm staying here until you can leave."

"Lynn's orders?" She asked, her back to the hanyou as she finished picking up all the notes and sat in her chair so that she could organize then all over again.

Inuyasha shook his head and withheld the urge to cringe. "...I came here on my own," he admitted, mentally preparing for the tirade that would soon happen.

Kagome's eyes grew dark with anger. "Did you even think about letting her know you were going to check on me?"

An irked Inuyasha was about to seal his fate by opening his mouth, but paused when he caught the faint smell of fading blood. He the looked down at Kagome's hands and noticed the bandages. "...Kagome... what happened to your hands?"

"I took my anger out on the woodpile." The miko replied. "Otherwise I would have had to replace the lamps."

The hanyou paled. Kagome with an axe? "...because of that test?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes, because I couldn't come back when I promised I would." Tapping the pile straight, she sighed. "The test is tomorrow, but I won't get the results until Monday."

Inuyasha frowned, sitting down on the bed behind Kagome's chair. Did that mean that Kagome's mother was even scarier than Kagome?

"She... doesn't understand how close everything is- she's concerned about my life in this time. Says that I've spent enough time there and that I have a life here too." Kagome explained, looking at her hands. "If I wasn't so busy studying, I'd be attacking the wood pile every night."

Inuyasha paled even moreso, standing up almost immediately. "...Uh...I-I can try to deliver a note to Lynnette for you if you want..." he stammered out, not wanting to be killed.

Kagome brightened and she smiled. "Would you? That would help a lot! Let's see, where'd I put it..."

Inuyasha felt a shiver run down his spine at how quickly her mood changed. It was unnerving.

She didn't see how the mood change affected the hanyou, as the miko was busy hunting through piles of paper. "Ah ha! found you!" Kagome was now holding a thick packet of folded up paper in her hand.

The hanyou withheld a heavy breath as he waited for Kagome to give him the letter. "...Is this all you want me to give to her?" Inuyasha then asked.

"It's pretty thick, I'd ask if you could take the stuff mom bought on my behalf, but since Kikyou isn't there..." She shrugged. "Buzzer can only take so much."

The hanyou nodded his head. "Okay, I'll take this," he replied, walking over towards the window.

"Thanks, and be careful." Kagome sat back down but watched him leave.

Inuyasha looked back at Kagome. "Keh! I'll be fine!" he said in his usual fashion to avert her from worrying about him. However, before he opened the window, he flashed a glimpse of warmth in his eyes towards her. Without saying anything else, he jumped out of the window and headed back towards the well, saving the inner cringe when he noticed the large pile of cut wood.

Souta saw him and waved hello, he was guarding the well. "Hey Inuyasha!"

The hanyou halted, clutching the letter carefully. "...Hey, kid," he replied. "...what are you here for?"

"Mom said I had to guard the well because it was my turn."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "...You've been guarding the well all this time?" he gasped.

"Jii-chan had afternoon watch, and mom takes over whenever she can."

The hanyou almost paled again. No wonder Kagome was never able to sneak away!

"Mom and sis got into a big fight when she got home this time, and Kagome even kicked one of my toys across the room and almost broke mom's reading lamp."

Inuyasha's eyebrows furrowed. Kagome acting violent around her own family? That didn't seem right.

"She was very angry and went right back outside- chropped wood all night and Jii-chan has to pull splinters out of her hands..."

Inuyasha shook his head. How was he supposed to protect her from being injured if she constantly did things that hurt herself?

"She should crash soon... I hope..."

Souta's offhanded sentence made Inuyasha's eyes narrow. "...How much sleep has she been getting?" He did notice that she seemed slightly thinner than usual.

"She's been studying or chopping wood ever since coming back, been really short with the people at school too."

"...She hasn't eaten and slept at all?" Inuyasha then asked.

"If she does, she's multitasking and won't talk to us."

"...I'll be right back," Inuyasha replied before jumping back up to Kagome's window and pushing the glass open with slightly more force than usual. "Kagome," he said in a stern tone. "When's the last time you ate anything?"

The miko jumped and swore when her pencil broke. "Sometime this morning, I think."

"...What about sleep?" Inuyasha pressed with a hint of a growl behind his voice.

"I took a nap when Jii-chan bandaged my hands."

"Wasn't that a few days ago?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yeah, but been too wired to sleep."

Inuyasha held the letter up. "I'll make sure this letter gets delivered to Lynnette," he began. "But before you leave, I want you to sleep and eat something decent." His eyes narrowed. "It's not going to be easy if you're already half dead before we get to her."

"I'll try, but sleep hasn't exactly been my friend lately."

"Well try then. I'm not planning to carry you on my back if all you do is sleep on me," Inuyasha commented. "I'm pretty sure if you keep up with this chopping wood hobby you picked up, Lynnette won't be too pleased to see your hands..."

Kagome flinched. "A new volcano's going to spring up..." She muttered.

Inuyasha snorted. "I bet.."

With a sigh, the young miko made as though to turn back to her work. "I make it up to her somehow. The important thing now is to get through to my mother and make certain that I passed the god damn test! If I get an A on it mom should loosen up a little bit and give us all some breathing room."

Knowing that Kagome's mind was set on this course of action, the dog demon's ears drooped in his sorrow. Nothing he said or would do could make any difference when it came to her stubbornness. With that in mind, Inuyasha left the room without any further protest- but promised himself that he would be back to check up on her and make sure that she didn't go back on her word.

Back in the feudal era, Lynnette took a deep breath as a small group of hell insects landed in her lap carrying a pack of letters. "Finally Kagome..." Looking up, Lynnette smiled at Kikyou. "I think we've finally heard from Kagome at last!"

The undead woman nodded. "Inuyasha sent from her." the pale woman did her best to appear nonchalant at Lynnette's excitement over receiving word from Kagome.

Humming quietly, the redhead broke open the packet and started to read, beginning to laugh uncontrollably. By the time she had finished, tears of mirth were running down her face. Gasping for air, she grinned at Kikyou. "Kagome went toe to toe with her mother and lost the first round! That's why she didn't come back on time. She asked me to ask you to apologize for her."

Kikyou's expression softened as a small smile broke through her facade. "Did she say when she'd be returning?"

"According to this, she won't be able to return until she gets the results of the test- and that's only if she aces it. Apparently the mom's _really_ mad this time! Not something you ever want to see Kikyou."

"Doesn't her mother realize what she's fighting for here?" asked the pale woman. "Surely if she explained to her mother the outcome might be different."

"She knows, but I'm not sure exactly if she understands it all. Kagome is- in a sense- now living two entirely different lives. That's not easy for a mother to accept. I think that there is a fear that one day Kagome won't come back at all." Lynnette sighed. "The more time she spends here, the more chance there is that she won't want to go back."

"What do you want her to do?" she asked the younger girl. Kikyou's expressionless face scrunched slightly. It was the only sign of anticipation she gave.

"I want her to be happy no matter which path she decides to choose as long as she's sure it's what she really wants."

"Do you love her?" before Kikyou had the chance to stop herself the words flew from her mouth and she mentally scolded herself for her lack of verbal control.

"She is my best friend and my sister. Besides that, I hear she finally kicked Inuyasha's rear in gear. Whether or not it would last... that I don't know." Lynnette looked down at her wasted form. "At any rate, I have no right to do that to her now..."

Kikyou smiled at Lynette. "You're so kind. Even when facing death you think of her before yourself." The woman came closer to the wasting form of the girl and bent down. She put her cold hands over Lynnette's gently. "What if I told you there was someone for you here? Someone that could make you feel at peace?"

Lynnette smiled gently at the miko. "Would it be right, knowing that I am dying Kikyou?"

"Yes... because the person... is already dead." she said softly. "She nothing but a walking corpse, wandering aimlessly through the world."

Lynnette smiled, and reached for Kikyou's hand. "If you are sure... it doesn't disgust you?"

"Look at me, Lynette. I am made of mud and clay. You have real skin, real bones. This," she motioned to Lynnette's gaunt form. "could never disgust me."

The redhead cocked her head to the side. "Does it bother you that I am not a man Kikyou? I know you are a priestess of the highest class..."

In answer, Kikyou stood up and moved her body in closer. Her face was centimeters away from Lynnette's and when the younger girl didn't pull away from her, the undead priestess pressed her lips fully to Lynnette's. Her pale hands came up to gently cradle her heart shaped face. Kikyou eased up only to kiss her again more firmly, trying to coax her into kissing her back.

Surprised, she swallowed before shyly kissing back, turning her head slightly for a better angle, trying to avoid crushing both their noses as the redhead gently brushed Kikyou's hair away from her face and out of the way.

They stayed frozen like that for some moments until Kikyou pulled back slightly. Staring into Lynnette's face, a peaceful expression flittered over the older woman's features. Leaning back in, Kikyou kissed her again, deeper this time, coaxing the younger girl's mouth open with her own.

Her eyes glowing in happiness, Lynnette returned the kiss inexpertly, hugging Kikyou loosely at first before tightening her hold to press closer.

In the shadows beyond the barrier, Naraku, master puppeteer, stood in silent anger. He watched as his former love locked lips with his latest victim and clenched his fists. Taking a step forward, he was repelled by his own power. He was helpless but to watch with darkness in his gaze, as the two women established a relationship before him.

After several long agonizing moments, Lynnette reluctantly broke the kiss to get her breath back. "Wow..."

Kikyou's expression was one of seriousness. "I need to know what you choose, Lynnette."

Smiling she took Kikyou's hand again. "If it doesn't bother you, then it doesn't bother me. As long as I can, I'll try to make you smile..."

"I mean... I want you to come with me because you want to. Not because Kagome won't have you."

She shook her head slowly. "I wouldn't do that to you Kikyou, there's no comparing the two of you because you are both different people. I care about you because you are yourself."

With a relieved smile, Kikyou embraced the younger girl. "When you are ready to go. Let me know. We'll go together."

Lynnette looked thoughtful. "I'm tired... but I can't leave until Naraku is dead. I can't leave knowing that he would still be able to hurt other people the way I was hurt!"

"I understand." she said. "I believe, that is why I can not leave either. My spirit won't allow it."

Lynnette smiled and tightened her hold on Kikyou's hand. "Believe me, I understand."

Hours later, Lynnette returned reluctantly to the lair. Making her way to her room, she looked confused as her room appeared darker than usual at sunset. "What the..." She murmured, sliding the door open more than she usually did.

Naraku stood in the far corner, blocking out most of the light to the other side of the room. "Good evening, Lynnette."

It felt like Lynnette had jumped out of her own skin as the blood began to roar in her ears. "This isn't your room Naraku." She snapped, covering her shock.

"On the contrary, this lair belongs to me. Meaning, this room I have so graciously leant you, is mine."

Lynnette narrowed her eyes, not liking the darkness that was swirling around Naraku as she covered her nose. Was it just her- or was there something off with her captor more than usual? '_Takeshi? Are my senses scrambled or..._' She asked her son.

The puppeteer master grinned from behind his mask. "Come in, that is what you came here to do, was it not?"

"Not with you stinking up the room I'm not! I'll sleep outside instead." She snapped back, her good mood already gone. Trying to hide a shiver, she backed up and made to shut the door. All the while, worried that Takeshi hadn't said a word. '_Takeshi?_' She asked again, turning her focus inward.

'_I'm here mother._' The demonic child sounded scared. '_Your senses are fine, I feel it too. Please get out of there!_'

The wall shattered, sending splinters of wood flying everywhere, bouncing off the shield that he snapped up to protect her from harm before she could blink. Naraku stood in her way of escape. He lunged for her, gripping her chair in suppressed anger. He waited three beats before his scowling frown turned into a malicious smirk. "Come with me." he said and turned. Without waiting for an answer, one of his tentacles wrapped around the chair and dragged it after him.

Swallowing, Lynnette closed her eyes tight and kept her hands in her lap. 'Has the miasma driven him mad?' She asked herself. 'This isn't good...'

The incarnation of the devil himself came to his room and slid the door open. Crossing the threshold, he dragged her in with him. It was quite obviously his quarters with the bundle of furs piled in the corner to make a makeshift futon. He picked her up off her chair with his tentacles and took rope laying on the floor he placed there specifically for this occasion and tied her from her legs to her upper arms. Placing her on the furs, he stood back and examined his handiwork.

She frowned at him, the soft golden kimono she wore was one that he hadn't seen her wear before and set off her hair. From the look on her face, clearly she was going to be stubborn about this. There would be no begging for mercy- yet.

"I saw you with Kikyou today. You think she loves you, don't you?"

Lynnette glared at him. "That's none of your business."

"Maybe not. That remains to be seen. What was the catch?" he asked.

"What does it matter to you? She replied, shifting against the ropes to get comfortable.

"It matters quite a bit. Not for me, but for you." he said and came closer to her bound figure. "She'll never have you." he ran a gentle hand over her hair. "Kikyou is nothing but a whore."

Awkwardly, she tried to move her head away from him. "Why do you care what I decide to do in the time that I have left?"

"Because I can give you life." he said and sat down close to her. He pulled her into him and nuzzled her neck just to spite her.

Lynnette ground her teeth and her body stiffened at his touch. "Liar."

"Maybe. But not about this." he grinned and bit the outside of her neck gently.

"Ow!" She jumped. "Stop that!"

Naraku did it again and again until little bite marks could be seen around her neck, collarbone and right in the middle of her chest.

She had tried to get away, but couldn't move, her mouth tightened in pain as the areas Naraku lavished attention upon throbbed dully. There were bruises forming at her wrists, she had tried that hard to get away. "Are you done?" Lynnette asked tightly, keeping her eyes closed so that she wasn't looking at him.

"Hardly. I've only just started." he said and chuckled. His deep voice penetrating the walls of his room. "You don't like it when I do this," He bit her once more on the shoulder. "or this." next he ran a hand up her leg. "Do you?"

Before she could control it, her leg jerked painfully against the ropes. Hissing in pain, she shook her head. "No I don't."

Smirking, he hummed his satisfaction. "You're to stay here for now." he stood to leave the room. "I'll give Kikyou your regards."

"She won't believe you anymore than I do you bastard." It was the first time she had ever called someone that word when speaking to them.

Smiling a most vile smile, Naraku gave her a mocking bow. "Oh no, Lynnette. I'm not going to talk to her. I'm going to end her."

"You aren't smart enough to best her." She replied, turning her head away from him. "Kikyou can best you even on her worst day."

"Think Lynnette. If she could best me and wanted me dead, which she does, she'd have done it by now. Why do you think it hasn't happened yet?"

"I don't have to answer that." She replied coldly, shifting again as though to roll over on her side away from him.

"You know I'm right." he replied and shut the sliding door behind him. His dark aura was taken with him as he left his precious lair in search of Kikyou.

Around midnight, Lynnette managed to sneak out again. She made a beeline straight to her garden, hoping the priestess was still there. 'The defenses I put there should have protected her...' She thought worriedly- tasting the blood from her split lip as she rolled into her garden. "Kikyou?' Lynnette whispered softly around her dry throat. "Are you okay?"

Coming around a tree to announce that she was there and safe, Kikyou came closer to Lynette with her undead spirits following around her body.

Smiling despite how much her mouth hurt from the effort, Lynnette's eyes glowed in triumph. "How long did it take until he gave up?"

"A few hours." she said. Her lips held a smile until she was close enough to examine her appearance. "What happened?" she asked sharply, her eyes zoning in on her bruises and busted lip.

"Naraku caught us kissing and blew up." Lynnette fingered her neck gingerly before showing her beloved the makes on her wrists. "He tied me up before using me as a chew toy."

Kikyou made a sound of disgust at the very thought of Naraku coming near Lynette. "Are you alright?" she asked, putting a tender hand against her cheek.

"There are bruises on my neck, shoulders, and chest. Other than my split lip, I'm all right." She shuddered as though cold. "I wouldn't tell him anything about us, he thinks you are only with me because you and I made a deal..."

"He knows nothing." she hissed, not at Lynette, but at the very thought of the man.

"I know." Lynnette sighed. "Kikyou... I think you are going to have to lead the others here directly even though they haven't found all the jewel shards yet. The miasma is finally making him insane." She bit her lip worriedly, ignoring the blood running down her chin. "If it gets any worse, he might just kill me off and take Takeshi..."

Kikyou nodded in agreement. "I understand." she wiped the blood from Lynnette's chin with her thumb. "I'll send word to Kaede to inform Inuyasha and Kagome to meet me Inuyasha's tree. I'll go through that well myself if I have to and retrieve Kagome."

"Can you do that? I thought Inuyasha was the only one who could come and go."

"I don't know. I've never tried but we can't waste any more time."

Lynnette nodded. "Would you be mad at me if I confessed that there is another reason I'm getting you out of here?"

"That depends on the reason, my love." the endearment was out before she could stop it. She froze, waiting for Lynnette's reaction.

Lynnette blushed, and then smiled. "I wanted you out of his sight for a while."

"It's you that should be out of his sight." she smiled back, pleased that Lynnette accepted the endearment, and the flattery of someone, clearly weaker than her, wanting to keep her safe.

"True, but at least he won't be able to use you against me right now." Lynnette sighed. "Physical torture, he's an amateur but when it comes to mental or emotional..."

"I understand." Kikyou put a hand on her cheek. "I must go to see Kaede if we want Naraku gone sooner rather than later."

Lynnette nodded, and smiled for Kikyou. "Be safe Kikyou."

"You too."

"I would give you a kiss or a hug goodbye, but my lip wouldn't cooperate." The redhead admitted.

The older woman bent down and kissed Lynette on her forehead. "There."

"Thank you." Lynnette whispered shyly. "I'll miss you." Reaching behind her back, she pulled out a letter. "Give this to the others please. It will give a reason for your leaving."

Taking the note, she let her eyes convey that she would miss Lynette as well. "We'll be back for you." she said, walking backwards, out of the barrier.

When she couldn't see the Priestess anymore, the redhead sighed and picked a few herbs before steeling herself to return to Naraku's lair.

By the time that Kikyou got there, Kagome had returned, and there was a light in her lights that did not bode well for anyone getting in her way. "I passed the test and came straight back. Did anything new happen while I was gone?" She asked as the older miko approahed.

"Naraku's going more and more insane. He's resorted too..." her brow furrowed with the challenge of finishing the sentence. "hurting her. She fears if you don't come to ger aid now, she'll be killed and Takeshi will be raised by Naraku."

"Hurting her?" Kagome almost screamed this.

Miroku jumped and Shippou hid behind Inuyasha. "Kagome-chan, calm down, I'm sure that Kikyou-san will explain..."

"He'll bite her gently but her skin is too sensitive and it forms bruises. The last I saw she had a split lip. It's getting worse, we have to make haste."

Kagome jumped to her feet in a rage. "Can you lead us there Kikyou-san?" She demanded.

"Of course." she replied. "When is the earliest you can be ready?"

"I'm ready now, Everyone else?"

"Let's go!" Shippo and Miroku said in union. Sango and Inuyasha nodded.

"All right, follow me."

In Naraku's castle, Kanna looked up from her mirror. "They are coming." She said tonelessly.

"Perfect." he replied, a sinister grin marring his wicked features.

"You will not win."

"We'll see."

Empty eyes gazed into her mirror. The emotionless child said nothing more.

His grin twisted into a nasty sneer. He, too, said no more but if his eldest was convinced he wasn't going to win this battle, then it just proved how wrong it was of him to make detachments from his flesh. One by one, they would fall prey to betrayal. His most loyal Kanna, was apparently no exception. He couldn't stop himself from thinking that maybe she was referring to his mate, Lynette. The girl was tough, and had spirit. When he won the battle, he was certain he'd be able to break it. He would reform her; give her a new body and relish in the fact he was able to control her as well. His grin was maddening, reflecting his mind's inner turmoil. "I will win, Kanna. You can be sure of that."

"She's stonger than you think." Kanna didn't look up from her mirror. "There are walls within her that you can't touch."

Naraku hummed; and said nothing more. He waited patiently for Inuyasha and his friends to arrive at his barrier. "Kanna, make sure they meet Kagura first. I want them weakened first."

Silently his eldest 'child' left the room.

The sadistic man slid the door to his room wide open. "How's my mate doing?" he asked, grinning at her despite the battle he was about to engage in.

Lynnette shivered, tightening the fur she had wrapped around herself even though it wasn't that cold out. "I've been better."

"Your friends are on their way." he said, to her and leaned on the frame of the door.

"I knew that already." She replied, not looking up from her writing.

"And how would you?" he asked, coming further into the room. "Was it a sensation you left in your heart?" his mockery of her amused him. "Or perhaps just wishful thinking that was confirmed by my information."

"I know Kagome well. If I asked her to come here, she would." Lynnette snapped. rubbing her head as though it hurt. "Go away Naraku, I'm not in the mood to deal with you."

"Lucky for you, I must go whether you order me out or not. When I return, I look forward to seeing your devastated expression from seeing your friends' blood on my body."

"Fuck you Naraku, you know nothing." There was nothing but disgust in the redhead's voice. "They'll kill you, then I can be happy."

Instead of reacting with malice, Naraku's grin widened. "I'll see you, Lynette." he took his time making his way out of the castle.

Once he was gone, Lynnette ground her teeth in agony. 'Takeshi? Are you okay?' She asked.

'Yes... this isn't going to be good for either of us if he comes through that door, mother.'

'Are you okay? you've been very quiet lately, are you mad at me?'

'No, mother. I could never be mad at you. I feel like it's time to come out soon.' he said. 'It's slightly distracting because I know you're not ready yet.'

'What do you want to bet that Naraku's speeding things up?' Lynnette asked, trying to distract herself from the pain. 'Besides, no mother is ever truly ready for the birth of her child.'

'The last thing I want is to hurt you, mother. I could never forgive myself.' Takeshi sounded on the verge of crying. 'I'd rather stay in here than cause you pain.'

'Considering you are the only thing keeping me alive right now, I agree with you, however I don't think either of us have a choice at this point. Could you do me a favor when you are born though?' Lynnette asked, looking at the bed and debating on laying down for a while.

'Anything for you.' he said, already sounding as if he'd made up his mind.

'Don't scream or cry when you see me. I'm only going to be able to see you once child of mine.' Lynnette smiled sadly. 'I'll warn you now, your mother is not pretty.'

'Beautiful or not, your my mother. That makes you perfect in my eyes.'

'I've corrupted you.' She grinned. 'I only wish I could be there when he realizes that you will never call him your father.'

'I'll miss you, mother.' he said and even though she couldn't see him, the hurt in his voice conveyed that tears would be streaming down his face were he out of her womb.

'You truly are my son now, you'll make me proud of you.'

'I'll do my best.'

Still smiling, Lynnette tactfully changed the subject. "Should I lay down?" She asked aloud.

'No. If you lie down, I'll only come out faster.' he warned.

"I was afraid you'd say that." She muttered crossly, tugging another thick fur off the bed and wrapping it around her. After a moment of thought, she gathered her things to go back to the garden. "I can't control when you come out, but I'll do my best to control where!"

'Is it nice out there?' asked Takeshi after a long while of listening to his mother rummaging around to get to the garden.

"It's cold to me, but yes." Lynnette replied softly.

'Would it be worth fighting for? As a memorial to you?' he asked.

She blinked. "Do you mean this place, or life in general?"

'The garden, mother.'

"Every person needs a refuge, somewhere to go when they need to think. This garden has become special to me because it reminds me that not everything can be tainted by evil unless you let it in. If Naruku dies, his miasma will fade and- with time- the land will be restored." Lynnette replied. "As the years pass my garden will once again become part of the land and no one will know the difference."

'Then if it's important to you, I'll protect it.'

His mother smiled. "Takeshi, if I can be said to WANT anything. I'd want you to become the man your sire could never hope to be and work hard to undo the damage he has done."

'Yes, mother. I'll make you proud. I promise.'

"Someday you will find your special place where the land will welcome you. Strange as it may seem, this Garden become my place."

Takeshi smiled inside his mother. 'I love you.' a frown then marred his features. 'I'm sorry, mother. I'm coming out faster than I thought I would.'

She cried out in pain, feeling the blood slide down one leg, but muffled the cry with her hand. Sucking in air, she tossed the furs on the ground. "I'd hoped to wait untill everyone got here... Damn it, this is HIS fault!" Whimpering, she fumbled to get out of her kimono. "Damnit why couldn't he let me keep my own clothes... I'll have to go nude. Sorry baby boy, I'd hoped to spare you that..."

'It'll be the last thing I remember, it's alright. I'll... I'll do my best to not cause you any more pain than I already am.'

"Takeshi, you know as well as I do that your birth was not meant to be painless." Swallowing her cries of agony, a humming noise caught he attention, causing her to look up despite wanting to scream. Seeing Buzzer and the small group of Hell's insects that had given their loyality to her instead of their former master, she nodded. "Buzzer. you and the others know what to do now. Go!" She moaned softly as the redhead managed to somehow get out of her chair as the bleeding increased.

'He'll pay for this, mother. I can promise you that. If Inuyasha doesn't do the job then I will.'

Twitching in every limb with effort, Lynnette managed to pull herself over to the pile of furs and smiled as she rested her head and back in their softness. "I knew that already Sweet boy." Crying out again, she bit her hand as blood began to pool beneath her and made her shiver with renewed cold.

er water broke, mixing with the blood and adding to the sting as her flesh stretched to make room for her baby boy to come out. He slid down her channel slowly, trying his best to come out as fast as he could without the aid of another to pull him.

Moments turned into minutes before Kikyou and Kagome made it to Lynette's side. They were covered in blood, both of them exhausted with looks of both relief and horror as they saw the girl laying in the fur with blood all around her. Racing to her, Kikyou dropped to her knees beside the woman she loved and took her hand in hers. Kagome planted herself at the bottom of her. "All right, Lynnette, we're both here for you and I know it hurts but you have to push." Kagome said, concentration clear in her expression.

Kikyou smiled softly at Lynette, squeezing her hand in reassurance. "This will hurt for a while, my love. But when it's over, we can finally be together, without pain."

"I know, I was scared you-" She screamed and went rigid in pain as she pushed. "Weren't going to get here in time. Where are the others?" She gasped out.

"They've weakened Naraku but he's still alive. They wanted us here to at least be with you. They said if they don't get here on time to say it was a pleasure to know you, and goodbye." said Kikyou.

"They'll be here." Kagome said in a clipped tone, her teeth gritting together at the sounds of Lynnette in pain. "Push, Lynette, with everything."

The redhead screamed again as more blood poured out of her body, still, she pushed so hard she saw spots in front of her eyes.

Minutes turned to an hour of this, it was slowly becoming apparent that if Kagome didn't help Takeshi along, she was going to die before she got to see her baby boy. It was at this time that Inuyasha and the others arrived, each of them dirty, bleeding and limping from open wounds. They stayed back a fair distance to make sure they didn't infect the area with their blood or dirt stained clothing.

"You can do it, Lynnette!" cried Shippou. The others urged her on, each of them with affection in their voices. The only silent one was Inuyasha.

"Come on, damn it. Don't you die on him before you see your son." he said, in his own way urging Lynette to push; to fight against the pain and live long enough to lay her eyes on her pride and joy.

Her skin was pale- almost ashen- from the blood loss. "Kame, you'll need to do IT..." She whispered softly, calling Kagome the nickname she had always used in their own time. "I'm pushing, but it's not enough, my body doesn't have the strength."

The woman nodded, total concentration penetrating her gaze. She reached in until she felt Takeshi's head. "Got him." She said and gently pulled, allowing the process to go on smoother than before.

Lynnette's pushing was weaker now, and it was clearly evident that Naraku's child was going to kill his mother regardless of his change of heart.

'Goodbye mother. I love you.' Takeshi said just before Kagome pulled him out completely. She pinched him to try to get him to cry out Lynnette's internal fluid but he didn't utter a sound. He just looked up at Kagome and then turned his tiny head to Lynnette, his mother.

Smiling weakly, tears falling from her face as she reached out slowly for her boy. Unable to talk, she opened her mind to him completely- showing him just how strong her heart was as she wrapped the demonic child in her love. Speech didn't matter now. Her hand dropped and she struggled not to show him her pain. 'So... proud...'

Kagome put Takeshi in Lynnette's arms when the small baby struggled towards his mother. 'Me too...mother.' he put his tiny hands on her chest near her heart. 'I'll always think of you.'

With her last once of physical strength, she tightened her hold on her son and tried to smile as Kikyou and Kagome as the light slowly faded from her eyes and Takeshi heard her heart slow and become still.

Kagome took the child back, tears of sorrow falling from her eyes. Kikyou stood with Lynnette's lifeless husk in her arms. "It's time." she said, her demonic pets swirling around her. "Take care of him." she said to Kagome.

Moment's later, Kikyou and Lynnette's bodies were gone into two small lights, pink and grey swirling around one another. With the guidance of Kikyou's pets, the two lights aimed for the sky and vanished.

Covered in Lynnette's blood, Kagome fought back sobs as she held Takeshi tighter. "Let's get her things and take them back with us." She said tightly.

Inuyasha clenched his hands at his sides and caught Kagome's eye as she stood. He wanted to hold her, comfort her. But he wouldn't. Not now. She wasn't ready for it, that much he could tell

by her strong demeanor. Sango and Miroku both shed a single tear for their lost companion. "I'm so sorry, Kagome." Sango said, earning warm, teary smile from the girl.

"If there's anything we can do to ease your pain, don't hesitate to say so." For once, Miroku was being serious without a hint of lecher to his tone or intentions. Shippou, the very

child that had once hated Lynnette, had tears flowing down his face. He wiped his eyes, but it was no use. The tears came in a harder flow. He hopped onto Miroku's shoulder and received an

understanding pat on his head.

"Come on," said Inuyasha, his voice the very opposite of rough. "Kagome's right. We need to gather her things. She deserves a proper farewell."

"Thank you." She whispered to the hanyou, turning to step out of the protection of her feiend's garden, avoiding the blood pooled on the ground. "Takeshi, are you all right? It will

take a while for the miasma to fade..."

'I... I'll be fine.' he replied, the grief clear in his tone. He tried to appear strong even though he was but a small infant. 'Where will I go?' he asked.

"With me. I promised Lynnette that I would raise you as my own after she died when you told us that you denied being his son." The young miko said softly. "She said you didn't

have to stay if you didn't want to though."

'I'll stay. It's what she would have wanted. Good influences. I'm still... a part of him. It will be tough for a while.'

"This is your land now... if you want it." She stopped at the edge of the miasma. "I know it was his, but Lynnete didn't have any way to support you."

'I'll come back here when I'm older. I'll make it beautiful. Like her.'

Concentrating hard, Takeshi was able to make the miasma fade enough for them to pass. 'Hurry, I'm not strong enough to keep this up for long.' he said, his brow furrowing in

intense concentration.

Kagome trotted across, making sure Takeshi wasn't jostled too much as she let Takeshi lead the way. Still this didn't stop her mouth from dropping open in surprise at the riches in

Lynnette's quarters. "Was this really...?"

'Yeah. He thought to buy her affections. Mother didn't even like half the stuff.'

The woman holding Takeshi snickered. "Of course she didn't, she always..." Swallowing, she composed herself again. "Liked to pick out things for herself."

The small infant nodded. 'She only really liked that small pile of things at her desk.' he said, looking at the small pile.

Gently putting the newborn on the bed, Kagome walked over to the desk to open the drawer. Her eyes filled with tears and she fell to her knees at the sight of the thick notebooks on the drawer as a sob escaped her.

Inuyasha put a hand on her head. Sango, Miroku and Shippou stayed out of the room to give Inuyasha and Kagome space. "Come on, Kagome. I know it's hard. But... we have to be strong."

"She..." Kagome gulped hard as she picked them up one at a time. "I thought she'd forgotten about her book." She opened the last one to see if it was finished, and sighed. "Takeshi? It looks like she wants you to finish in her stead." Looking around, Kagome found Lynnette's bag and shoved them in, searching the desk to make sure they had everything. "I think we have it all."

"Yeah..." Inuyasha replied, heading out of the room first.

'I'll finish it for her...' Takeshi said absently. 'I'll make her the ending she deserves.'

"Just don't try bringing her back, or she'll spank you." Kagome warned as she let Inuyasha pick up Lynnette's bag to take the boy in her arms again.

'I know. She didn't want that. I just hope I can live up to expectations.'

As they walked, Kagome shifted him to look into his face. "Your eyes are his color, but clear like hers. You have her hair too. I better start investing in branches, not sticks-

otherwise you'll never know any peace from girls in the future!"

His face wouldn't let him grin, but the mirth in his eyes was there. 'Thank you, Kagome.'

Kagome didn't speak again until the group had returned to the garden. Staring at the blood, her lips quivered. "It doesn't feel..."

'Right.' he finished for her. 'Lets go. We shouldn't stay here for too much longer. The miasma won't clear out for a very long time.' he said.

Nodding, the miko shifted Takeshi again and walked with the others, ignoring the pained mews from the neko and the worried whispers behind her.

As he stayed motionless in Kagome's arms for hours, Takeshi couldn't help but drown in his thoughts. It was silent; unbearably so without his mother to talk to. Now, it was just him. With no other close connection to anyone around him. His thoughts then strayed to Kagome and her friends. Lynnette saw them as family. They loved her, took care of her, thus making them his family as well. He didn't mind it; not really. Not when he witnessed firsthand the love and adoration they showed for his mother. If he were to be good, and stay away from evil then perhaps... perhaps they would love him too. Perhaps, despite the loss of his mother, if he used the powers his sire gave him for good, he would be accepted among them and be loved... like family. Like Lynette wished. Looking up at the rising sun, the young infant felt... content. Not happy, as he was still grieving, but content. He knew his mother was happy with Kikyou and that was enough for him to be content. He approved of her decision to be with the older woman. They were good for each other, one way or another. He mentally smirked. Father promised her the world and yet she wouldn't take it. Not if Kikyou wasn't with her. He just wished he had the time to tell her he was okay with her decision. That she didn't have to be sad over leaving him. He knew she had no choice. He was just glad it was with the woman she loved.

The breeze gently caressed his head, and he knew at that moment that his mother was there, still watching over him. He hoped she always would be.


End file.
